New company enters market to use vitamin E to extend life of hip, knee implants
Source — Marco News.com
Vitamin E isn’t an antioxidant just for your skin and nails anymore — it’s expanding to joint implants.
Zimmer, a company also based in Warsaw, is seeking FDA approval to offer its own version.
The concept is that the natural antioxidant in vitamin E can prevent wear of the polyethylene, or plastic, components of implants. Many cup liner components for hip implants are made of the plastic and the same goes for plastic knee bearings in knee replacements.
The vitamin is blended in during the manufacturing process and makes the material denser to better handle stress, said Tim Gardener, product director for hip products with Zimmer.