Are PEEK-on-Ceramic Bearings an Option for Total Disc Arthroplasty? An In Vitro Tribology Study

Mr. Ryan Siskey, Ms. Lauren Ciccarelli, and co-author published "Are PEEK-on-Ceramic Bearings an Option for Total Disc Arthroplasty? An In Vitro Tribology Study." The article was featured in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.

Most contemporary total disc replacements (TDRs) use conventional orthopaedic bearing couples such as ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (polyethylene) and cobalt-chromium (CoCr). Cervical total disc replacements incorporating polyetheretherketone (PEEK) bearings (specifically PEEK-on-PEEK bearings) have been previously investigated, but little is known about PEEK-on-ceramic bearings for TDR.

What is the tribologic behavior of a PEEK-on-ceramic bearing for cervical TDR under idealized, clean wear test conditions? How does the PEEK-on-ceramic design perform under impingement conditions? How is the PEEK-on-ceramic bearing affected by abrasive wear? Is the particle morphology from PEEK-on-ceramic bearings for TDRs affected by adverse wear scenarios? 

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