Quantification of UHMWPE wear in periprosthetic tissues of hip arthroplasty: Description of a new method based on IR and comparison with radiographic appearance

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been used as a bearing material in total joint replacements (TJR) for more than three decades. Although UHMWPE is regarded as the gold standard in this field, microscopic wear particles are released from the polymer causing inflammatory response in the surrounding tissues. In this study, a new fast method for the quantification of polyethylene wear particles, called IRc, was introduced. The IRc method is based on infrared spectroscopy and determines the total volume of UHMWPE wear debris in particular zones around TJR. The IRc results correspond very well to the results obtained by an independent method, which estimates the numbers of wear particles by means of image analysis of scanning electron micrographs. The IRc results were also compared with radiographic images and with the reports from TJR revisions. Again, very good correlation was found, indicating that the extent of tissue damage in a particular zone around TJR is proportional to the volume of UHMWPE wear debris in the zone.