The effects of lubrication in hip prostheses

Abstract

Three groups of experiments are reported, each looking at a particular aspect of lubrication of artificial hip joints so that some indication of the modes of operation could be found. The first group investigates the difference between material combinations when lubricated with synovial fluid and when dry, and also compares joints of the same material, radius and general form but having very different apparent surface areas. This leads to useful data concerning hydrodynamic lubrication. The second group of experiments investigates the effects of lubricant viscosity on the frictional resistance of artificial joints and the third group looks at the effects of static and suddenly applied loads on lubricated prosthetic hip joints.