Studies on the effect of electron beam radiation on the molecular structure of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene under the influence of alpha-tocopherol with respect to its application in medical implants.

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) is being used successfully for articulating surfaces in joint endoprostheses, especially for cups of total hip endoprostheses. Sintered specimens containing various amounts of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) as a biocompatible stabilizer, were irradiated in nitrogen atmosphere as well as in air with various dosages of electron beam radiation. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used to analyze the soluble fractions of the UHMW-PE samples according to their molecular weight distribution prior to and after irradiation. In nitrogen atmosphere the radiation-induced crosslinking showed to be dependent on the added amount of alpha-tocopherol in the sintered specimens. With an increasing content of alpha-tocopherol, the stabilizer acted as a scavenger for free radicals. Thus, the crosslinking was more and more hindered. The same effect was observed on the samples irradiated in air, where, in addition to the crosslinking process, oxidative molecular degradation occurred. The highest extent of crosslinked material was yielded with unstabilized samples in nitrogen atmosphere.