title: Biomechanical Properties of a Novel Biodegradable Magnesium-Based Interference Screw.
abstract: Magnesium-based interference screws may be an alternative in anterior/posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The well-known osteoconductive effects of biodegradable magnesium alloys may be useful. It was the purpose of this study to evaluate the biomechanical properties of a magnesium based interference screw and compare it to a standard implant. A MgYREZr-alloy interference screw and a standard implant (Milagro®; De Puy Mitek, Raynham, MA, USA) were used for graft fixation. Specimens were placed into a tensile loading fixation of a servohydraulic testing machine. Biomechanical analysis included pretensioning of the constructs at 20 N for 1 min following cyclic pretensioning of 20 cycles between 20 and 60 N. Biomechanical elongation was evaluated with cyclic loading of 1000 cycles between 50 and 200 N at 0.5 Hz. Maximum load to failure was 511.3±66.5 N for the Milagro® screw and 529.0±63.3 N for magnesium-based screw (ns, P=0.57). Elongations after preload, during cyclical loading and during failure load were not different between the groups (ns, P>0.05). Stiffness was 121.1±13.8 N/mm for the magnesium-based screw and 144.1±18.4 for the Milagro® screw (ns, P=0.32). MgYREZr alloy interference screws show comparable results in biomechanical testing to standard implants and may be an alternative for anterior cruciate reconstruction in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery , Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ezechieli
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery , Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Syntellix AG , Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.affiliation: IFW , Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Helmecke
authors.affiliation: ATOS Clinic , HKF, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becher
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery , Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Tilman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Calliess
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery , Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Windhagen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery , Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ettinger
keywords: Degradable magnesium screw; anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; biomechanics