Vitamin E provides additional oxidation stability to the engineering thermoplastic which can further extend the life of artificial prosthesis replacements.
The new grades from
Ticona, GUR 1020-E and 1050-E, consist of the company’s existing GUR UHMW-PE with the addition of a homogeneous content of 1,000 parts per million of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) as a stabilizer. This addition should allow sufficient irradiation behaviour as well as effective oxidation resistance for improved implant wear, the company says.
Synthetic orthopaedic joints or joint components are used replace hips, knees, shoulders, spine components, elbows or ankles. These implants, which need to be sterilized, can become oxidized when subjected to modern irradiation techniques. Making implants using the new grades of GUR UHMW-PE with vitamin E can reduce susceptibility to oxidation in this process,
Ticona says, and avoid unnecessary follow-up surgery.