Abstract
PURPOSE: to review advances and clinical performance of polyethylene in total joint arthroplasty, summing up historical problems and focusing on the latest innovations. METHODS: search for medical grade Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Polyethylene (UHMWPE); Data Sources: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library. RESULTS: the increasing number of joint arthroplasties and high-activity patients led to progressive developments of bearing surfaces to improve performance and durability. Different strategies such as crosslinking UHMWPE (HXLPE) and the addition of vitamin-E (HXLPE) have been tested to improve wear and oxidation resistance. CONCLUSION: Recent innovations about UHMWPE showed improvements either for hip and knee, with the potential of long-term survivorship.