An Introduction to Tribology

Tribology is the study of friction, wear, lubrication mechanisms, and their interrelationships. Biotribiology focuses on understanding diarthrodial joints and has been a branch of tribology since 1973. Since then, biotribology has played a prominent role in the evaluation and development of joint prostheses, contributing to reduced wear and increased longevity. Total joint replacements are now  common for arthritic patients and are also used in treating a variety of other orthopaedic conditions. For this reason, a complete understanding of the joint lubrication and microstructure that exists in nature is crucial. A subfield of biotribology, biomimetic tribology, has been formed with this goal in mind. This review covers the basic concepts of tribology, provides a brief historical perspective on joint prostheses, and presents the application of tribology in understanding diarthrodial and prosthetic joints. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 17(1):2–5, 2008)