title: Feasibility of osteosynthesis of fractured cadaveric hips following preventive elastomer femoroplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In vitro cadaveric studies showed that elastomer femoroplasty prevents displacement of fracture parts after proximal hip fracture allowing for conservative treatment. In the event that secondary displacement does occur, the purpose of this present study was to determine the feasibility of performing osteosynthesis of a fractured hip after preventive treatment with elastomer femoroplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten pairs of human cadaveric femurs were fractured in a simulated fall configuration. From each pair, one femur was randomly selected for elastomer femoroplasty prior to fracture generation and the contralateral femur was used as control. Following hip fracture generation, osteosynthesis was performed in all femurs. The operative time per case, technical difficulties during the procedure, and postoperative energy-to-failure load were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (SD) time to perform osteosynthesis was 20 (6) minutes in the control-group and 19 (5) minutes in the elastomer femoroplasty-group (P=0.69). During osteosynthesis of the fractured hip in the elastomer femoroplasty-group, no difficulties including the need for additional instruments to remove elastomer from the proximal femur were recorded. Postoperative energy-to-failure load was similar in the control-group and the elastomer femoroplasty-group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fixation with routine osteosynthesis of displaced cadaveric hip fractures is not hindered by the presence of previously injected elastomer.
authors.affiliation: Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedics, Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: w.schaasberg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schaasberg
authors.affiliation: Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: van der Steenhoven
authors.affiliation: Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedics, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: van de Velde
authors.affiliation: Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedics, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R G H H
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Nelissen
authors.affiliation: Leiden University Medical Center, Biomechanics and Imaging Group, Department of Orthopaedics, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, TU Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Valstar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D020724:Elastomers; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000601:surgery; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D006615:Hip / Q000601:surgery*; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D020724:Elastomers
keywords: Contralateral hip fracture; Elastomer; Fracture prevention; PDMS; Polydimethylsiloxane