  Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been the gold standard
for total knee replacements. Due to the knee's natural movements, UHMWPE wear
debris production is inevitable. The debris, at the micron and submicron level,
results in the joint's mechanical instability, reduced mobility, increased
pain, and implant loosening. Wear debris production has been linked to UHMWPE
mechanical properties; therefore, improvements to increase the UHMWPE
mechanical properties will impact the component's longevity. Here, TiC coating
and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used to decrease the UHMWPE
wear. After 400,000 cycles, the UHMWPE-MWCNT diminishes the mass loss compared
to UHMWPE, and the combination with TiC decreased the material loss by ~ 43.7 %
compared to the reference pair. Cold-flow and burnishing were the predominant
wear modes.
