Tibial interface wear in retrieved total knee components and correlations with modular insert motion.

Background: Wear occurring at the interface between the polyethylene insert and metal baseplate of a modular tibial component has become an increasingly common finding at the time of revision total knee arthroplasty. Although this so-called backside wear on retrieved polyethylene inserts has been evaluated in prior studies, wear on retrieved metal baseplates has not been described, to our knowledge. The purposes of the present study were to characterize backside wear on retrieved polyethylene inserts and on the mating surfaces of their corresponding baseplates and to investigate if there is a relationship between backside wear and relative motion of the modular elements.