In vitro pressurization of the acetabular cement mantle: the effect of a flange

The addition of a flange does not improve the pressure generated during cemented acetabular cup implantation

Flanged acetabular cups were developed with the rationale that, at insertion, they would increase the pressure of the cement and improve penetration of cement into the acetabular bone. Various studies have been inconclusive regarding their effectiveness. In this work, we aimed to eliminate all confounding factors and measure the pressures generated during acetabular pressurization and cup implantation using a simplified steel acetabulum, high precision pressure transducers, proper surgical techniques and two acetabular cups, identical apart from the addition of a flange to one. It was found that the flanged acetabular component did not significantly increase the pressure in the acetabulum and in some cases reduced the pressures generated when compared to an unflanged cup. The addition of a flange did not reduce the pressure differential between the pole and the rim of the acetabulum, nor did it have a significant effect on pressure lost over the cup implantation period. It was concluded that flanged acetabular cups provide no significant improvement in the pressures generated in the acetabulum during acetabular cup implantation. It is hypothesized that the flange may be seen as a design feature intended to slow the insertion of the cup into the cement, thus requiring the surgeon to apply a larger load in order to correctly position the acetabular cup; in this way larger pressure will be generated.

Better primary stability with porous titanium particles than with bone particles in cemented impaction grafting: an in vitro study in synthetic acetabula

AIMS

Impaction bone grafting creates new bone stock after hip joint replacement. Utilizing a synthetic bone substitute instead of bone might increase primary stability and is not associated with graft shortage and pathogen transmission. This study compares the initial stability of a graft layer of porous titanium particles (TiP), cancellous bone particles, and a 1:2 bone-titanium mix in synthetic cemented acetabular reconstructions. Displacement was measured by radiostereometric analysis after cyclic loading (1 Hz, maximum stress 2.5 MPa). Shear stress resistance was quantified by a lever out test of the cup. Cement penetration was quantified from cross-sections.

FINDINGS

Titanium reconstructions showed less residual displacement (0.13 ± 0.13 mm) than pure bone particle reconstructions (0.57 ± 0.18 mm) (p < 0.01). Titanium reconstructions were also more resistant to shear stress (p < 0.001). The bone-titanium mix showed intermediate results. Cement penetrated deeper into the bone particle graft layers (4.8 ± 0.7) than into the titanium graft layers (3.8 ± 0.5 mm) (p < 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Cemented acetabular revision reconstructions with porous TiP show better initial stability despite less cement penetration than bone particle reconstructions. Realistic preclinical in vivo testing should explore the hypothesis that porous TiP offer a safe alternative to the current gold standard of bone grafts.

Comparison of flanged and unflanged acetabular cup design. An experimental study using ceramic and cadaveric acetabuli

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Adequate depth of cement penetration and cement mantle thickness is important for the durability of cemented cups. A flanged cup, as opposed to unflanged, has been suggested to give a more uniform cement mantle and superior cement pressurization, thus improving the depth of cement penetration. This hypothesis was tested experimentally.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The same cup design with and without flange (both without cement spacers) was investigated regarding intraacetabular pressure, cement mantle thickness, and depth of cement penetration. With machine control, the cups were inserted into open-pore ceramic acetabular models (10 flanged, 10 unflanged) and into paired cadaver acetabuli (10 flanged, 10 unflanged) with prior pressurization of the cement.

RESULTS

No differences in intraacetabular pressures during cup insertion were found, but unflanged cups tended to migrate more towards the acetabular pole. Flanged cups resulted in thicker cement mantles because of less bottoming out, whereas no differences in cement penetration into the bone were observed.

INTERPRETATION

Flanged cups do not generate higher cementation pressure or better cement penetration than unflanged cups. A possible advantage of the flange, however, may be to protect the cup from bottoming out, and there is possibly better closure of the periphery around the cup, sealing off the cement-bone interface.

Biomechanical study of posterior wall acetabular fracture fixation using acetabular tridimensional memory alloy-fixation system

BACKGROUND

We developed the acetabular tridimensional memory alloy-fixation system (ATMFS), which is made of NiTi shape memory alloy, according to the specific mechanical properties of biological memory material, nitinol alloy and measured distribution of contact area and pressure between the acetabulum and the femoral head of cadaveric pelvis.

METHODS

Six formalin-preserved cadaveric pelvis were used for this investigation. Pressure-sensitive film was used to measure contact area and pressure within the anterior, superior, and posterior regions of the acetabulum. The pelvis were loaded under the following four conditions: (1) intact; (2) following a creation posterior wall fracture defect; (3) following reduction and standard internal fixation with reconstruction plate; (4) following reduction and internal fixation with a new shape memory alloy device named ATMFS. A posterior wall fracture was created along an arc of 40-90 degrees about the acetabular rim.

FINDINGS

Creation of a posterior wall defect resulted in increased load in the superior acetabulum (1422N) as compared to the intact condition (762N, P=0.007). Following reduction and internal fixation, the load distributed to the superior acetabulum (1486N) was not statistically different from the defect condition. Following the fixation with ATMFS, the load seen at the superior region of the actabulum (936N) was less than fixation with reconstruction plate and was not different from intact state (P=0.4).

INTERPRETATION

These data indicate that the use of ATMFS as a fracture internal fixation device resulted a partial restoration of joint loading parameters toward the intact state. ATMFS fixation may result in a clinical benefit.