State of the art of surface texturing for biotribology applications

Surface texturing can be defined as a technique
that consists of creating micro cavities in the surface of a
material. There are different texturing techniques such as
chemical etching, electromechanical micromachining,
diamond embossing, electric discharge, pellet-pressing and
laser surface, the last being the most common. For years,
these surface texturing techniques have been used in
tribological applications because microcavities can store
oils or fluids and constantly lubricate the surfaces that are
subjected to wear; they can also be used to trap wear
particles (debris) that would otherwise act as abrasive
particles (three body abrasive wear). This literature review
seeks to analyse and compare the advantages that the use
of surface texturing techniques can offer in reducing the
wear of prosthetic components and therefore lengthening
their useful life, to provide a better quality of life to
patients. The results of this review showed a growing
interest in the scientific community in the use of surface
texturing for biotribogical applications, using to a greater
extent the Laser Surface Texturing (LST) technique and
the surface pattern composed by dimples.