STRYKER has announced a significant new development in joint replacement materials that could considerably increase the life of hip and knee replacements. X3 is a wearresistant bearing material that has been specially developed from conventional polyethylene. This material is claimed to offer surgeons the first highly cross linked polyethylene bearing surface that keeps its structural strength, whilst reducing wear and eliminating the potential for oxidation.
Dr John Dumbleton, one of the inventors of X3, explains: “We have pioneered a manufacturing process which means the X3 plastic can resist wear under all conditions. In tests we have demonstrated wear reductions of 97% in the hip and 79% in the knee. With increasing numbers of patients undergoing joint replacement surgery a material such as X3 has the potential to help reduce the number of joint revisions due to wear and tear, and could save precious NHS resources.”
