title: Comparison of in vitro hydrolysis, subcutaneous and intramedullary implantation to evaluate the strength retention of absorbable osteosynthesis implants.
abstract: To evaluate the behaviour of mechanical properties of absorbable osteosynthesis implants in vivo, the strength retention of self-reinforced polyglycolide rods in distilled water at 37 degrees C in the subcutis and femoral medullary cavity of the rabbit was investigated. The self-reinforced polyglycolide rods lost their strength significantly faster in vivo than in vitro. The strength loss of the self-reinforced polyglycolide rods was only slightly faster in the medullary cavity than in the subcutis. As the removal of the implants from the medullary cavity became difficult 5-6 wk after implantation, it is suggested that subcutaneous implantation would be a suitable method to evaluate the strength retention of absorbable osteosynthesis implants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vasenius
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vainionpää
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vihtonen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rokkanen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mero
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Törmälä
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D005269:Femur / Q000601:surgery; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008954:Models, Biological; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D011100:Polyglycolic Acid