SURFACE CROSSLINKED POLYETHYLENE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a wear resistant polyethylene medical implant.

SOLUTION: The method includes: a step of forming a medical implant made at least partially of ultra high molecular weight polythylene (UHMWPE) such as an orthopedic implant. The polyethylene may be irradiated with gamma ray or e-beam radiation to form free radicals and then crosslinked to eliminate the free radicals prior to exposure to oxygen. The so treated bearing surface of the crosslinked polyethylene is then coated with a photoinitiator. Thereafter the bearing material is photocrosslinked with ultra-violet (UV) radiation. The hotocrosslinking process can also be applied to non-crosslink UHMWPE.

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