Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene has a low X-ray attenuation, hence, the performance of the polyethylene implants used for joint replacements cannot be directly investigated using X-ray-based imaging techniques. In this study, the X-ray attenuation of polyethylene was increased by diffusing an FDA-approved oil-based contrast agent (Lipiodol ultra fluid) into the surface of the samples, and the suitability of this novel radiopaque ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene for clinical applications was examined. Different levels of radiopacity were created by controlling the diffusion parameters, and the level of radiopacity was quantified from computed tomography scans and reported in Hounsfield units. The physical, chemical and tensile properties of the radiopaque ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene were examined and compared to untreated and thermally treated controls. The results of this study confirmed that for the samples treated at 115°C or less the diffusion of the contrast agent did not significantly alter the crystallinity (p = 0.7) or melting point (p = 0.4) of the polyethylene. Concomitantly, the tensile properties were not significantly different from the control samples (p > 0.05 for all properties). In conclusion, the radiopaque ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene treated for less than 18 h at a temperature of 115°C or below is a promising candidate for joint replacement applications as it can be identified in a standard X-ray while retaining the tensile properties of clinically used radiolucent ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

超高分子量聚乙烯具有较低的 X 射线衰减，因此，无法使用基于 X 射线的成像技术直接研究用于关节置换的聚乙烯植入物的性能。在这项研究中，通过将 FDA 批准的油基造影剂（Lipiodol 超流体）扩散到样品表面来增加聚乙烯的 X 射线衰减，以及这种新型不透射线超高分子量聚乙烯的适用性临床应用进行了审查。通过控制扩散参数产生不同水平的射线不透性，并且射线不透性水平通过计算机断层扫描量化并以 Hounsfield 单位报告。体力，检查了不透射线超高分子量聚乙烯的化学和拉伸性能，并与未处理和热处理的对照进行了比较。该研究的结果证实，对于在 115°C 或更低温度下处理的样品，造影剂的扩散不会显着改变结晶度（p  = 0.7) 或 聚乙烯的熔点 ( p = 0.4)。同时，拉伸性能与对照样品没有显着差异（ 所有性能p > 0.05）。总之，在 115°C 或更低的温度下处理不到 18 小时的不透射线超高分子量聚乙烯是关节置换应用的有希望的候选者，因为它可以在标准 X 射线中识别，同时保持拉伸性能临床使用的射线可透超高分子量聚乙烯。