Wear analysis of chamfered elongated acetabular cup liners

This study investigated the wear phenomena of chamfered acetabular cup liners. The liners have three parameters at the lengthened rim: The length of the elongation, the depth of the cup and the chamfer angle. Using published wear volume equations for cylindrically elongated liners, this study analysed the volume of the chamfer to obtain the exact theoretical wear volume of the chamfered liner. The criteria described in our previous paper were used to verify the accuracy of the proposed methodology. The results showed that a shallow cup depth (<2 mm) and a chamfer angle of about 30° could significantly reduce the wear volume arising from the elongation. When the chamfer angle was increased further, this effect became progressively less significant. The results suggest that a chamfer angle up to about 30° is appropriate, but the angle should not be larger than required to obtain the minimum femoral range of motion (ROM). The results of this study can also be integrated with the analysis of the kinetics and kinematics of liners. A compromise design incorporating a lower wear volume, sufficient ROM and a lower contact stress should be possible.