[Publications]

2009 SFB Workshop Presentation: Exploring the Wear of a PEEK All-Polymer Articulation for Spinal Applications

    • Reference:
    • Austin H, Powell M, Medley J, Langdohr D. Exploring the Wear of a PEEK All-Polymer Articulation for Spinal Applications. Transactions of the Society for Biomaterials, 2009.
    • Keywords:
    • PEEK, CFR-PEEK, wear, total disc replacement
    • Permissions:
    • The PDF handout of the conference presentation is made available on www.medicalpeek.org with the permission of the authors.

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Abstract

PEEK the structural strength and stiffness to provide a stable implant-bone interface.  Thus, it is a good candidate for an all-polymer cervical disc replacement. Initial pin-on-plate wear of PEEK-PEEK pairings has been surprisingly low. The purpose of the present study was to further explore the wear behavior of various PEEK-PEEK pairings, looking for governing principles and tribological limits in order to assess the risk of gross surface damage and/or wear particle-induced osteolysis. Although an all-polymer PEEK implant for cervical disc arthroplasty would be advantageous in terms of medical imaging, the present study suggests that it might also have some tribological risks that need to be addressed in future simulator studies.

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