Pedicle screw pull-out testing in polyurethane foam blocks: Effect of block orientation and density

Synthetic bone models such as polyurethane (PU) foam are a well-established substitute to cadaveric bone for screw pull-out testing; however, little attention has been given to the effect of PU foam anisotropy on orthopaedic implant testing. Compressive and screw pull-out performance in three PU foam densities; 0.16 g/cm3 (PCF 10), 0.32 g/cm3 (PCF 20) and 0.64 g/cm3 (PCF 40) were performed in each of the X, Y or Z orientations. The maximum compressive force, stiffness in the linear region, maximum stress and modulus were determined for all compression tests. Pedicle screws were inserted and pulled out axially to determine maximum pull-out force, energy to failure and stiffness. One-way ANOVA and post hoc tests were used to compare outcome variables between PU foam densities and orientations, respectively. Compression tests demonstrated the maximum force was significantly different between all orientations for PCF 20 (X, Y and Z) while stiffness and maximum stress were different between X versus Y and X versus Z. Maximum pull-out force was significantly different between all orientations for PCF 10 foam. No significant differences were noted for other foam densities. There is potential for screw pull-out testing results to be significantly affected by orientation in lower density PU foams. It is recommended that a single, known orientation of the PU foam block be used for experimental testing.

Bone ongrowth and mechanical fixation of implants in cortical and cancellous bone

BACKGROUND

What is the right surface for an implant to achieve biological fixation? Surface technologies can play important roles in encouraging interactions between the implant surface and the host bone to achieve osseointegration. Preclinical animal models provide important insight into in vivo performance related to bone ongrowth and implant fixation.

METHODS

A large animal model was used to compare the in vivo response of HA and plasma-sprayed titanium coatings in a well-reported adult ovine model to evaluate bone ongrowth in terms of mechanical properties in cortical sites, and histology and histomorphometry in cortical and cancellous sites at 4 and 12 weeks.

RESULTS

Titanium plasma-sprayed surfaces outperformed the HA-coated samples in push-out testing in cortical sites while both surfaces supported new bone ongrowth and remodeling in cortical and cancellous sites.

CONCLUSIONS

While both HA and Ti plasma provided an osteoconductive surface for bone ongrowth, the Ti plasma provided a more robust bone-implant interface that ideally would be required for load transfer and implant stability in the longer term.

The contribution of the cortical shell to pedicle screw fixation

BACKGROUND

A pedicle screw insertion technique known as "hubbing" involves the removal of cortical bone around the screw insertion with the aim of improving fixation and decreasing screw loosening. However, the efficacy of this procedure relative to bone density and early loading have not been fully explored. The purpose of this study is to establish the contribution of the cortical layer (hubbing), cancellous density, early loading (toggling) in an idealised model. This is an in vitro laboratory study.

METHODS

Synthetic bone blocks with cancellous bulk and a simulated cortical shell were implanted with 6.5 mm pedicle screws. Three key variables were evaluated in this study; density of the simulated bone (10-20 lb/ft³), toggling (±0.5 mm for 10,000 cycles), and the presence or absence of the surrounding cortex (hubbing). Pullout testing after toggling was performed to determine maximum load, stiffness and energy. Results were analyzed to assess interaction and main effects.

RESULTS

Removal of the cortex decreased the pullout loads by approximately 1,100 N after toggling. Toggling in the presence of the cortical shell had no effect. However, once the cortical shell is removed damage to the weaker cancellous bone accumulates and further compromises the fixation.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of a cortical layer in the Sawbone model is significant and provides a more realistic model of load sharing. The cortex plays a considerable role in the protection of underlying cancellous bone as well as contributing to initial pullout strength. The results of this study demonstrate a negative synergistic effect when both toggling and hubbing are applied to the weaker bone.

A sheep model for cancellous bone healing

Appropriate well-characterized bone defect animal models remain essential for preclinical research. This pilot study demonstrates a relevant animal model for cancellous bone defect healing. Three different defect diameters (8, 11, 14 mm) of fixed depth (25 mm) were compared in both skeletally immature (18-month-old) and aged sheep (5-year-old). In each animal, four defects were surgically created and placed in the cancellous bone of the medial distal femoral and proximal tibial epiphyses bilaterally. Animals were euthanized at 4 weeks post-operatively to assess early healing and any biological response. Defect sites were graded radiographically, and new bone formation quantified using μCT and histomorphometry. Fibrous tissue was found within the central region in most of the defects with woven bone normally forming near the periphery of the defect. Bone volume fraction [bone volume (BV)/TV] significantly decreased with an increasing defect diameter. Actual BV, however, increased with defect diameter. Bone ingrowth was lower for all defect diameters in the aged group. This pilot study proposes that the surgical creation of 11 mm diameter defects in the proximal tibial and distal femoral epiphyses of aged sheep is a suitable large animal model to study early healing of cancellous bone defects. The refined model allows for the placement of four separate bone defects per animal and encourages a reduction in animal numbers required for preclinical research.

Platelet function and constituents of platelet rich plasma

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapies require blood to be processed prior to application, however, the full assessment of the output of platelet sequestration devices is lacking. In this study the products of the Autologous Fluid Concentrator (Circle BiologicsTM, Minneapolis, MN) and the Gravitational Platelet Separation System (GPS, Biomet, Warsaw, IN, USA) were evaluated in terms of platelet viability and PRP constituents. The AFC and GPS produced 6.4 (±1.0) ml and 6.3 (±0.4) ml of PRP, with platelet recovery of 46.4% (±14.7%) and 59.8% (±24.2%) producing fold increases of platelets of 4.19 (±1.62) and 5.19 (±1.62), respectively. Fibrinogen concentration was increased above baseline PPP produced with the AFC. pH was lower for both of the processed samples than for whole blood. White Blood Cell count was increased around 5 fold. Functional tests showed preserved viability with both devices. This represents essential knowledge that every treating physician should have before they can confidently administer PRP therapy produced by any method. These are the first published results of platelet function for the GPS system and the first performance results of the AFC system. The PRP produced is classified according to broad classifications as Leukocyte-PRP (L-PRP) for both devices.

Biomechanical evaluation of four different transosseous-equivalent/suture bridge rotator cuff repairs

PURPOSE

Evaluate the biomechanical behavior of four variants of the transosseous-equivalent/suture bridge (TOE/SB) repair.

METHODS

Four suture bridge (SB) constructs were created using 24 sheep infraspinatus tendon-humerus constructs (n = 6 per technique). The groups were (1) Knotted Standard Suture Bridge (Standard SB)--suture bridge with two medial mattress stitches, (2) Knotted Double Suture Bridge (Double SB)--four medial mattress stitches, (3) Untied Suture Bridge with Medial FT Anchors (Untied SB with FT)--two medial mattress stitches without knots, and (4) Untied Suture Bridge with PushLocks (Untied SB with Pushlocks)--two medial mattress stitches without knots. The contact area footprint was measured with an electronic pressure film prior to dynamic mechanical testing for gapping and testing to failure.

RESULTS

The Double SB produced the greatest contact area footprint compared to the other techniques, which did not differ. The Double SB repair with a mean failure load of 456.9N was significantly stronger than the Untied SB with Pushlocks repair at 300N (P = 0.023), the standard SB repair at 295N (P = 0.019), and lastly the Untied SB with FT repair at 284N (P = 0.011). No differences were detected between the two mattress stitch standard SB repair with knots and the knotless two mattress stitch repairs (Untied SB with FT and Untied SB with Pushlocks). Gaps developed during cyclic loading in all repairs apart from the Double SB repair.

CONCLUSIONS

The transosseous-equivalent/suture bridge repair with 4 stitches tied in the medial row and maximal lateral suture strand utilization (Double SB) outperformed all other repairs in terms of failure load, tendon-bone contact, and gapping characteristics. The presence of knots in the medial row did not change tendon fixation with respect to failure load, contact area or gapping characteristics.

The assessment of panic using self-report: a comprehensive survey of validated instruments

A repertoire of reliable and valid self-report instruments to assess panic and panic disorder would help both researchers and clinicians. This review presents a description and an analysis of the available instruments. Following a comprehensive search of the literature, 14 instruments with published information on reliability and validity were reviewed. The following information is reported for each instrument: brief description of the instrument and its development, mean and standard deviation for clinical and nonclinical samples, and psychometric properties. Four types of instruments are presented: general assessment and information (n = 2), severity of panic disorder (n = 2), body sensations (n = 2) and cognitive dimensions of panic (n = 8). Overall, it would seem that panic measures have moderate to excellent psychometric qualities. However, the comparison between the instruments is difficult because the amount of empirical support available varies widely from one instrument to the other.

Exposure versus cognitive restructuring in the treatment of panic disorder with agoraphobia

The aim of this study was to assess the rate of change on clinical, behavioral and cognitive variables during exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring in the treatment of panic disorder with agoraphobia. A total of 28 Ss who received a diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia were randomly assigned to either of two treatment conditions: exposure therapy or cognitive restructuring. Treatment conditions were kept as distinct as possible from each other. Subjects were assessed on five occasions: pretreatment, after 5, 10, and 15 (posttreatment) sessions of treatment and at a 6-month follow-up. Analyses of outcome data revealed strong and significant time effects on all measures. However, no group x time interaction reached statistical significance, suggesting that both strategies operate at the same pace. Furthermore, power analyses suggest that any difference that might exist in the rate of improvement between exposure and cognitive restructuring in the treatment of panic disorder with agoraphobia is marginal.