On the kinetics and impact of tetragonal to monoclinic transformation in an alumina/zirconia composite for arthroplasty applications

Latest trends in load-bearing materials for arthroplastic applications involve the development of highly fracture resistant alumina/zirconia composites, as an alternative choice to alumina and zirconia monolithic ceramics. Composite materials are designed from both chemical and microstructural viewpoints in order to prevent environmental degradation and fracture events in vivo, whose shadow yet hampers the full exploitation of ceramic materials in the field of arthroplasty. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the resistance to environmental degradation in an alumina/zirconia composite (Biolox Delta^®), which represents a primary candidate for hip and knee joint applications. Our approach consists first in the experimental determination of an activation energy value for environmentally driven tetragonal to monoclinic (t–m, henceforth) polymorphic transformation in the zirconia phase of the material; then, based on such an experimental value, a prediction is given for the long-term in vivo environmental resistance of prostheses made of the composite material. The present evaluation clarifies the in vivo performance of this new composite for orthopedic applications.