Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) for hip and knee arthroplasty: The present and the future

Purpose to review advances and clinical performance of polyethylene in total joint arthroplasty, summing up historical problems and focusing on the latest innovations. Methods search for medical grade Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Polyethylene (UHMWPE); Data Sources: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library. Results the increasing number of joint arthroplasties and high-activity patients led to progressive developments of bearing surfaces to improve performance and durability. Different strategies such as crosslinking UHMWPE (HXLPE) and the addition of vitamin-E (HXLPE) have been tested to improve wear and oxidation resistance. Conclusion Recent innovations about UHMWPE showed improvements either for hip and knee, with the potential of long-term survivorship.