Vivacit-E® Vitamin E Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene

Zimmer Biomet developed Vivacit-E® Vitamin E Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene with antioxidant protection to meet the long-term performance needs of high demand patients. Building on the legacy of Longevity® Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene with more than 13 years of clinical success1, our proprietary process results in:

Oxidative Stability2

It’s widely accepted that oxidation is a primary aging mechanism of polyethylene, which can lead to osteolysis and implant failure.1-2 The oxidative stability of Vivacit-E HXPE is the result of a proprietary process that grafts (locks) vitamin E directly to the polyethylene chain.3-6 The vitamin E continuously stabilises the material to prevent oxidative degradation of the polyethylene. When subjected to accelerated aging for 33 weeks (16 times the industry standard), Vivacit-E HXPE showed no signs of oxidation or significant decline in mechanical properties.2

Ultra-low Wear7

The ultra-low wear rates of Longevity bearings have been well established over 13 years of clinical history.1 Testing showed ultra-low wear with a 96% wear reduction compared to conventional polyethylene and 73% wear reduction compared to re-melted HXPE polyethylene.8

Improved Strength9-10

There are many tests to define a material’s strength. Zimmer Biomet has realised an improvement in tensile strength with Vivacit-E HXPE. Vivacit-E HXPE has antioxidant protection that eliminates the need to re-melt the polyethylene, leading to an improvement in strength. The vitamin E in Vivacit-E HXPE prevents oxidation, resulting in mechanical strength that is retained after accelerated aging for more than 16 times the 2-week industry standard test according to ASTM F2003.2,9,11

  1. Bragdon, C., et al. Clinical Multicenter Studies of the Wear Performance of Highly Crosslinked Remelted Polyethylene in THA. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 71:393-402; 2013.
  2. Pletcher, D., et al. Vitamin E Grafted HXPE Shows Superior Mechanical Property Retention Compared to Conventional UHMWPE and Sequentially Annealed HXP.  Poster No. 1868, ORS 2014 Meeting.
  3. Oral, E., et al. Crosslinked Vitamin E Blended UHMWPE with Improved Grafting and Wear Resistance. Poster No. 1181. ORS 2011 Meeting.
  4. Oral, E., et al. Trace amounts of grafted vitamin E protect UHMWPE against squalene-initiated oxidation. Poster No. 1295. ORS 2011 Meeting.
  5. Rowell, S., et al. Detection of Vitamin E in Irradiated UHMWPE by UV-Visible Spectroscopy. Poster No. 1186. ORS 2011 Meeting.
  6. Wolf, C., et al. Radiation Grafting of Vitamin E to Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene. Poster No. 1178. ORS 2011 Meeting.
  7. Zimmer ZRR _WA_2512_12.
  8. Zimmer ZRR_WA_2537_12.
  9. Zimmer ZRR _WA_2401_11, Rev. 1.
  10. Peiserich, M., et al. Retention of Mechanical Properties in a Blended Vitamin E Polyethylene After Extreme Oxidative Challenge. Poster No. 1060. ORS 2013 Meeting.
  11. 11. Zimmer TM1140.98.

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Zimmer, Inc.
1800 West Center Street
Warsaw, Indiana 46580 USA


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