Fretting Corrosion Testing of Hip Implant Interfaces
The ATS Family of Companies (FoC) provides medical device testing for hip replacement devices according to industry standards, such as ASTM F1875. An FDA-recognized consensus standard, ASTM F1875 enables comparison of prosthetic designs and reveals long-term fretting and fatigue due to cyclic loading associated with everyday movement.
Hip Replacement Devices
Total hip replacement (THR) or arthroplasty can alleviate pain and restore motion in patients with arthritis or hip injury. Hip replacement surgery substitutes the bone and cartilage in a hip joint with a prosthetic femur and acetabulum. Most hip replacement devices consist of a combination of metal, plastic, and ceramic.
Over time, the motions of the prosthetics introduce wear at the interface between components. Depending on the prostheses’ materials, the device may loosen due to wear, corrosion, and fretting, making the device less effective and painful to the users. The ATS FoC provides manufacturers with a reliable study of product performance in controlled conditions to help prepare for in vivo testing.
Testing Procedures
ATS FoC experts can follow ASTM F1875 testing methods:
Method I is a quantitative analysis of fatigue that tests the product or coupon in either a saline or proteinaceous solution. Our experts can subject the device or coupon to a range of static and cyclic loads according to the standard and then measure the corrosion products, debris particulates, and surface damage. Clients are responsible for analyzing the surface alloys outlined in ASTM F1875 9.1.8.
Method II, Procedure A, submerges much of the device or coupon in a saturated calomel electrode, then applies cyclic load ranges until the potential stabilizes. We study the change in potential and measure the current.
Method II, Procedure B, combines Procedure A with a comparison of peak-to-peak currents and the fretting corrosion current. Instead of a saturated calomel electrode, procedure B uses a large counter electrode connected to the testing apparatus with a zero-resistance ammeter.
Note: clients are responsible for calculating weight loss and metal release according to ASTM F1875 10.0.
About ATS FoC
The ATS FoC operates multiple ISO 17025-accredited labs that perform a wide array of testing services. Our experts frequently perform medical device testing for clients in the medical and manufacturing industries. Using top-of-the-line technology, our labs offer rigorous testing according to performance standards.
Please call +1 (888) 287-5227 or complete the request form on this page to schedule medical device testing with the ATS FoC at your convenience.
