Functional interface micromechanics of 11 en-bloc retrieved cemented femoral hip replacements.
OBJECTIVE
Despite the longstanding use of micromotion as a measure of implant stability, direct measurement of the micromechanics of implant/bone interfaces from en bloc human retrievals has not been performed. The purpose of this study was to determine the stem-cement and cement-bone micromechanics of functionally loaded, en-bloc retrieved, cemented femoral hip components.


METHODS
11 fresh frozen proximal femurs with cemented implants were retrieved at autopsy. Specimens were sectioned transversely into 10-mm slabs and fixed to a loading device where functional torsional loads were applied to the stem. A digital image correlation technique was used to document micromotions at stem-cement and cement-bone interfaces during loading.


RESULTS
There was a wide range of responses with stem-cement micromotions ranging from 0.0006 mm to 0.83 mm (mean 0.17 mm, SD 0.29) and cement-bone micromotions ranging from 0.0022 mm to 0.73 mm (mean 0.092 mm, SD 0.22). There was a strong (linear-log) inverse correlation between apposition fraction and micromotion at the stem-cement interface (r(2) = 0.71, p < 0.001). There was a strong inverse log-log correlation between apposition fraction at the cement-bone interface and micromotion (r(2) = 0.85, p < 0.001). Components that were radiographically well-fixed had a relatively narrow range of micromotions at the stem-cement (0.0006-0.057 mm) and cement-bone (0.0022-0.029 mm) interfaces.


CONCLUSIONS
Minimizing gaps at the stem-cement interface and encouraging bony apposition at the cement-bone interface would be clinically desirable. The cement-bone interface does not act as a bonded interface in actual use, even in radiographically well-fixed components. Rather, the interface is quite compliant, with sliding and opening motions between the cement and bone surfaces.
Mann
Kenneth A
KA
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA. mannk@upstate.edu
Miller
Mark A
MA
Verdonschot
Nico
N
Izant
Timothy H
TH
Race
Amos
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D001843:Bone Cements; D002484:Cementation; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013499:Surface Properties
D001843:Bone Cements