ABSTRACT
The main cause of aseptic loosening of cemented stems in total hip arthroplasty is the hydrolytic degradation of the metal-cement interface. In order to prevent this debonding a new multilayer method of coating the implant surface involving the use of a silica-/silane technique to create a durable adhesive bond between metal stem and bone cement has been developed. The biocompatibility of all the elements of the multilayer system was confirmed using a human osteoblast cell culture test. For sterilization purposes, gamma irradiation with a 25 kGy effective dose proved to be the method of choice. The proven biocompatibility and successful sterilization of the coated implants are the main prerequisites for in-vivo usage. On the technical side, the bonding effectiveness of the multilayer coating system was demonstrated by the tensile test, which revealed a significant improvement in the adhesive strength of the cement-metal bond under prolonged moist conditions similar to those met with in the human body.
