Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects over 32.5 million Americans. It occurs when chronic mechanical stress is placed on weight-bearing joints, degrading the articular cartilage, leading to inflammation, decreased joint space, and pain with joint movement. A Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most common procedures used to eliminate osteoarthritis. One of the possible side effects of a THA is the local inflammation brought on by the release of degradation products from the synergism of wear and corrosion, called tribocorrosion, of the prosthetic joint. Research into the tribocorrosive effects of typical metals used in THAs ( i.e., titanium) has continued for decades; however, little research has been performed on the rapidly growing field of 3D-printed metal THA implants. 3D printed hip replacements are becoming more prevalent as they are cheaper to produce, can be manufactured faster, and can be customized to the patient's unique anatomy. While there are reports on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of 3D-printed titanium, demonstrating different properties compared to traditional alloys, little research has been conducted on the tribocorrosion resistance of 3D-printed titanium. Therefore, in this study, we hypothesize that the tribocorrosion behavior of 3D-printed and commercial titanium will yield comparable outcomes. A series of tribocorrosion tests was conducted in a hip simulator to evaluate the durability of 3D-printed titanium and commercial titanium. Electrochemical impedance and spectroscopy tests were conducted. White light interferometer was used to measure wear volume and roughness. The released metal ions were estimated using ICP-MS. Finally, samples were examined under a scanning electron microscope to compare degradation qualitatively. The study reveals that 3D-printed samples demonstrate inferior tribocorrosion behavior than the traditional alloys. Further studies are required to under the mechanisms and synergistic interaction of wear and corrosion behavior.
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