Material properties of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in joint implant retrievals historically have been analyzed through thin section tensile testing. However, this technique was limiting with respect to dimensions and shape of implant, especially in acetabular components, reducing the amount of data that could be
gathered from retrievals. Therefore, it was necessary to implement a different technique that eliminated this limitation.
The small punch test required only a 6.35 mm diameter disk, providing a favorable alternative to uniaxial tensile testing. However, the small punch test employs a multiaxial stress state, making it important to have a correlation between material properties derived from the two test protocols. This project provides research for validation of the relationship between tensile and small punch testing, the modified technique.
