title: Freezing of rat tibiae at -20°c does not affect the mechanical properties of intramedullary bone/implant-interface: brief report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effects of freezing-thawing cycles on intramedullary bone-implant interfaces have been studied in a rat model in mechanical pull-out tests. IMPLANTS: Twenty TiAl6V4 rods (Ø 0.8 mm, length 10 mm) implanted in rat tibiae
  
  
  METHODS
  10 rats underwent bilateral tibial implantation of titanium rods. At eight weeks, the animals were sacrificed and tibiae harvested for biomechanical testing. Eight tibiae were frozen and stored at -20°C for 14 days, the remaining eight were evaluated immediately post-harvest. Pull-out tests were used to determine maximum force and interfacial shear strength.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between fresh and those of the frozen-thawed group in maximum force or in interfacial shear strength.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frozen Storage of rat tibiae containing implants at -20° C has no effects on the biomechanical properties of Bone/ Implant interface.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Unfall-, Hand- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diefenbeck
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mückley
authors.forename: Sergiy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zankovych
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bossert
authors.forename: Klaus D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Jandt
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schrader
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Finger
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faucon