Article

Removal of distal cement at femoral implant revision is
technically challenging and is associated with complications such as cortical
perforations. A technique that can reduce the risks and operating time is to make
a small cortical window in the distal femur for enhanced access. We wanted to
determine whether the use of long, bridging, cemented femoral stems is necessary
to reduce the risk of postoperative periprosthetic fractures after using an
anterior cortical bone window. METHODS: 66 fresh pig femurs underwent mechanical
testing. Steel rods were implanted at 3 locations: (1) at the distal window edge,
(2) 15 mm proximally to the cortical window edge, and (3) 15 mm distally. 54
femurs were tested using a 3-point bending setup and 12 femurs were tested using
a torsional load setup. RESULTS: Load to fracture ratio and bending stiffness
ratio were similar in the 3 groups, for either the 3-point bending test or the
torsional load test. INTERPRETATION: Our findings suggest that bypass of cortical
windows with a revision femoral component may not reduce the risk of
periprosthetic fracture.

Langue : ANGLAIS