Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/M93109/01
Title:	BIOTRIBOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF CERAMIC ON CERAMIC TOTAL HIP JOINTS
Principal Investigator:	Green, Professor S
Other Investigators:	Unsworth, Professor A
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Biomet UK Ltd DePuy Synthes (International) Morgan Matroc Thermomicroscopes
Department:	Engineering and Computing Sciences
Organisation:	Durham, University of
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 March 2000	Ends:	28 February 2002	Value (£):	160,469
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Biomaterials
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Healthcare
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Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Summary Describe the proposed research in about 200 words.Ceramic total hip replacements offer clinical advantages over metal articulating against UHMWPEcouples, demonstrating low wear rates and reduced liklihood of debris induced osteolysis. Theoptimisation of ceramic prostheses for use in total hip replacement surgery, particularly for youngerpatients, where ceramic joints are most often used, is sought. Currently, the in vitro tribology ofthese prostheses is poorly understood, being a function of both manufacture and in vitro lubricant.This research will advance the understanding of the tribology of ceramic on ceramic joints and it isanticipated that equipped with detailed evaluation of the mechanism of lubrication within theseprostheses, manufacture and clinical trials of tribologically optimised joints should be possible.Although the current project is restricted to ceramic hip joints, a better understanding of boundarylubrication on these material surfaces will equally be of use in the development of other artificialjoints of more complex geometry such as the knee and shoulder.
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