Abstract

Long term implant stability in medical and dental patients has been less than ideal due to wear caused by functional loading. As implant devices wear and suffer mechanical and/or biologic failure of critical components, patients are subjected to replacement surgical procedures. Generation of wear-dependent particles from implant substrates can contribute to both failure modes by increasing wear and eliciting host inflammatory response[1]. Amorphic Diamond Coating™ (ADC™) can be used to minimize or eliminate wear and the generation of wear dependent particles of cobalt chrome, titanium alloys and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene implant substrates used in medical and dental implants. The improved wear properties provided by ADC™ may reduce or obviate the need for replacement surgery for medical and dental implants that fail due to wear and generation of wear-dependent particles.

© 1995 Optical Society of America