The use of DBD plasma treatment and polymerization for the enhancement of biomedical UHMWPE

Surface modification of polymers for biomedical applications is a thoroughly studied area. The goal of this paper is to show the use of atmospheric pressure plasma technology for the treatment of polyethylene shoulder implants. Atmospheric pressure plasma polymerization of methyl methacrylate will be performed on PE samples to increase the adhesion between the polymer and a PMMA bone cement. For the plasma polymerization, a dielectric barrier discharge is used, operating in a helium atmosphere at an ambient pressure. Parameters such as treatment time, monomer gas flow and discharge power are varied one at a time. Chemical and physical changes at the sample surface are studied making use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements. Coating thicknesses are determined by making use of optical reflectance spectroscopy. After characterization, the coated samples are incubated into a phosphate buffered saline solution for a minimum of one week at 37°C, testing the coating stability when exposed to implant conditions. The results show that PMMA coatings can be deposited with a high degree of control in terms of chemical composition and layer thickness. •Medium pressure DBD successfully activates UHMWPE substrates.•Deposition of PMMA like film via atmospheric pressure DBD on activated UHMWPE•Fast deposition rate is confirmed via optical reflectance spectroscopy.•Relative stable coating found after tests in PBS solution and analysed via FT-IR