Fretting corrosion in saline and serum.

Fretting corrosion of stainless-steel round hole plates and spherical head screws was studied using a simulator that produced a rocking motion of the heads in the plate holes. Experiments were run for 7 days, with the simulator producing 1 oscillation/s for 16 h/day. Fretting corrosion was studied in 0.9% NaCl and in a 10% solution of fetal calf serum in saline. The results showed a tenfold decrease in fretting corrosion when the serum was added to the saline. Measurements of the weight of the two screws and two-hole plate showed those in saline lost 2.9 mg as compared to 0.3 for those in 10% serum. The concentration of nickel in the saline solutions was 12.4 micrograms/mL compared with 0.85 in serum. Visual examination of the solutions and implants revealed that those in saline had a significant amount of corrosion products while those tested in 10% serum were bright and shiny. Recordings of electrical potentials demonstrated that the addition of serum to saline significantly reduced the change in potential from rest to fretting condition.