Research and prospect on the fretting tribology of the orthopedic implants

The micromotion and fretting of the orthopedic implants could induce the damage and wear of the implants, which cause the clinical surgery failure. In this review, the type and classification of the fretting and some recent research about fretting tribology study method, wear principle and improvement actions are introduced. In the future, a new technique method for measuring the true micromotion distribution on the prosthesis-bone interface will provide a strong basis of biomechanical experiments for the intense study of the fretting principle in human. Moreover, a human prosthesis-bone interface fretting theory model, considering both the grow behavior and the biomechanics of bone tissue, will play a critical role in the optimization design of the orthopedic implants and the results of clinical and rehabilitation therapy.