Failure analysis of retrieved PE-UHMW acetabular liners

- Conventional γ-sterilized samples show higher OI levels than crosslinked materials.
- Both materials do not show severe optical, mechanical or morphological changes before 7a in-vivo.
- Mechanical properties correlate with morphological changes which depend on the oxidation state.
- A gender-related trend is shown: it seems that in females PE-UHMW is more susceptible to oxidation.