Preliminary study on the effect of wear process on drug release of ALN-loaded UHMWPE

► Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) was loaded with alendronate sodium (ALN) to treat osteolysis. ► The ALN release of ALN-loaded UHMWPE during wear process was investigated and compared with that without wear process. ► The presence of ALN gave rise to the different wear behavior of ALN-loaded UHMWPE compared with that of UHMWPE in water. ► The ALN release of ALN-loaded UHMWPE was greatly promoted by the wear process.