ISTA 2025 - Does Synovial Fluid Electrochemical Behavior Change When Exposed to CoCrMo or Oxidized Zirconium?

Description

In this presentation from the ISTA 2025 conference held in Rome, Professor Wimmer introduces a study funded by the Food and Drug Administration regarding the electrochemical properties of synovial samples from patients with severe osteoarthritis undergoing total knee arthroplasty. The study revealed that 5% of the retrieved synovial samples exhibited high electrochemical activity, particularly concerning corrosion rates against Cobalt Chrome, while another 10% displayed moderate activity. The research subsequently focused on comparing oxidized zirconium samples with Cobalt Chrome to determine if exposure influenced electrochemical properties. Utilizing cadaveric specimens and methods such as standard electric electrochemical cells to measure variables including open circuit potential and corrosion rate, the study found no significant variations in physical properties (fluid volume and pH) between the two material cohorts. However, notable differences were identified in corrosion potentials and passivation current densities when comparing responses of the synovial fluids against Cobalt Chrome and titanium electrodes. Although results indicated some changes in corrosion characteristics based on the materials tested, the presence of oxonium did not significantly alter the properties over time. The study emphasizes the need for further research due to the limited sample size, aiming to gather more data on the relatively small percentage of cases showing high corrosion rates.

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