Zhen Lu, PhD

Associate Professor
Director, Implant Tribology and Metrology Laboratory
The J. Vernon Luck, Sr, MD Orthopaedic Research Center

Dr. Lu is the Director of the Tribology Laboratory of the JVL Orthopaedic Research Center located at the Orthopaedic Institute for Children in downtown LA. Dr. Lu has conducted extensive studies of wear of joint replacement materials, including hip, knee, and spine disc replacements. He has used joint wear simulators as well as computer models (finite element analysis) to evaluate and improve the performance of many types of orthopedic implants. In the last decade, Dr. Lu has conducted tribological analysis of retrieved metal-on-metal total hips and surface replacements. He has established novel methods for using coordinate measurements to calculate the volume of wear debris removed from an implant during in vivo use or simulated wear tests. He has published several landmark articles on the wear evaluation of highly wear-resistant (crosslinked) polyethylene as well as metal-on-metal hip replacements.

Affiliations

Orthopaedic Research Society

Research & Publications (selected articles):

Lu, Z. and Ebramzadeh, E. (2019), Origins of material loss in highly worn acetabular cups of metal‐on‐metal total hip replacements. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 37: 143-150.
Park, S. H., Lu, Z., Hastings, R. S., Campbell, P. A., & Ebramzadeh, E. (2018). Five hundred fifty-five retrieved metal-on-metal hip replacements of a single design show a wide range of wear, surface features, and histopathologic reactions. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 476(2), 261.
Lu, Z., & McKellop, H. A. (2014). Accuracy of methods for calculating volumetric wear from coordinate measuring machine data of retrieved metal-on-metal hip joint implants. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 228(3), 237-249.
Takamura, K. M., Amstutz, H. C., Lu, Z., Campbell, P. A., & Ebramzadeh, E. (2014). Wear analysis of 39 conserve plus metal-on-metal hip resurfacing retrievals. The Journal of Arthroplasty, 29(2), 410-415.
Lu, Z., & McKellop, H. A. (2011). The use of a constant load to generate equivalent viscoelastic strain in finite element analysis of cemented prosthetic joints subjected to cyclic loading. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 225(8), 809-820.
Shen, F. W., Lu, Z., & McKellop, H. A. (2011). Wear versus thickness and other features of 5-Mrad crosslinked UHMWPE acetabular liners. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®, 469(2), 395-404.
Ebramzadeh, E., Campbell, P. A., Takamura, K. M., Lu, Z., Sangiorgio, S. N., Kalma, J. J., … & Amstutz, H. C. (2011). Failure modes of 433 metal-on-metal hip implants: how, why, and wear. Orthopedic Clinics, 42(2), 241-250.
Campbell, P., Beaulé, P. E., Ebramzadeh, E., LeDuff, M., De Smet, K., Lu, Z., & Amstutz, H. C. (2006). The John Charnley Award: a study of implant failure in metal-on-metal surface arthroplasties. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®, 453, 35-46.
Liao, Y. S., McKellop, H., Lu, Z., Campbell, P., & Benya, P. (2003). The effect of frictional heating and forced cooling on the serum lubricant and wear of UHMW polyethylene cups against cobalt–chromium and zirconia balls. Biomaterials, 24(18), 3047-3059.
Lu, Z., McKellop, H., Liao, P., & Benya, P. (1999). Potential thermal artifacts in hip joint wear simulators. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, 48(4), 458-464.
Lu, Z., & McKellop, H. (1997). Effects of cement creep on stem subsidence and stresses in the cement mantle of a total hip replacement. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: An Official Journal of The Society for Biomaterials and The Japanese Society for Biomaterials, 34(2), 221-226.
Lu, Z., & McKellop, H. (1997). Frictional heating of bearing materials tested in a hip joint wear simulator. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 211(1), 101-108.
Lu, Z., Ebramzadeh, E., McKellop, H., & Sarmiento, A. (1996). Stable partial debonding of the cement interfaces indicated by a finite element model of a total hip prosthesis. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 14(2), 238-244.