Effect of surface roughness and taper angle on junction strength of modular biomedical implant

Abstract

One of the most common problems with modular implants is that they begin to loosen over time. Implant loosening issue is of concern to physicians since implant revision surgery is an extremely difficult operation. A st able fixation between modular taper junctions is necessary to prevent motion and corrosion. There are many factors that can affect the loosening problem. This study aimed to determine the influence of surface roughness and taper angle on junction strength of modular biomedical implant in two different compression forces including 1500N and 2500N. The study was carried out on three different taper angles including 2°, 4° and 6° and surface roughness ranging from 1 to 4.18μm, to keep track of changes in pull out force. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that taper angle and surface roughness affect the pull out force. The highest pull out force was observed at smoother surface roughness and tighter taper angles, declining gradually in rougher surf aces and drastically in wider taper angles. It can be inferred that implant s are less likely to be loosened in 1.04μm surface roughness and taper angle 2° considering the scope of experiments.