Jevan Furmanski

 Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Berkeley

Prosthetic Materials Testing
[Research Summary]
 

Total joint replacements (TJRs) employ engineering materials, replacing the natural function of a joint. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is used as the bearing material of choice in TJRs. It is tough, and compatible with the body. TJRs can fail in fatigue, and often this occurs in the bearing. New UHMWPE materials are being engineered to mitigate risk of these catastrophic failures. We test these new materials, and evaluate the mechanical properties of UHMWPE theoretically and experimentally, in order to improve both the design and understanding of TJR bearings.