2011 年 32 巻 9 号 p. 557-562
Artificial joint replacement is an effective treatment for patients with severe arthritis whose number has been increasing due to the expansion of the elderly population. In artificial joint replacements with considerably less efficient lubrication, polyethylene (PE) wear leading to osteolysis and aseptic loosening limits the longevity of total hip arthroplasty (THA). As a result, the quality of all artificial joint replacements is becoming increasingly important. In natural synovial joints under physiological conditions, fluid thin-film lubrication by the hydrated intermediate layer (hydration lubrication) of cartilage is known to be essential for the smooth motion of the joints. A surface gel layer of poly (2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (MPC) with cartilage-mimicking structures on a cross-linked PE (CLPE) surface, which may realize ideal hydrophilicity and lubricity resembling the physiological joint surface, has been developed for reducing wear. The suggested approaches for bio-mimicking are surely novel in the field of orthopaedic biomaterials science. The cartilage-mimicking, super lubricious surface of the MPC-grafted CLPE could extend longevity of artificial joint replacement.