Since the early 2000s, highly cross-linked (HXL) UHMWPE's have become a popular option with multiple experimental and clinical studies showing that gamma or electron radiation doses between 50–100kGY reduce wear and potentially extend the bearing life of UHMWPE. However, the increased wear resistance came at a compromise to mechanical properties due to the cross-linking process. Vitamin E has been added to some HXL UHMWPE materials to offer a solution to the compromise by increasing oxidation resistance and maintaining sufficient fatigue strength. However, limited data is available on the effect of the fabrication process, especially the method of irradiation, on the properties of the Vitamin E blended HXL UHMWPE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding the antioxidant vitamin E to highly crosslinked UHMWPE on wear rates. Wear testing was performed on six highly crosslinked UHMWPE acetabular liners containing vitamin E (0.1% wt. alpha tocopherol) fabricated using the Cold Irradiation Mechanically Annealed (CIMA) process, initially cross-linked with approximately 100 kGy gamma irradiation, and terminally gamma sterilized. The liners were paired with three 40mm CoCr femoral heads and 40mm three ceramic femoral heads. Testing was completed per ASTM F1714 and ISO 14242 on an orbital hip joint wear simulator (Shore Western, California) and lubricated with 90% bovine calf serum, 20mM EDTA, 0.2% wt. NaN3 and DI water. A 1.1Hz Paul-type loading waveform with a peak of 2kN was used for a total of 5E6 wear cycles. Three loaded soak controls were used in parallel to adjust for fluid absorption. Samples were weighed every 5E5 wear cycles.INTRODUCTION
METHODS
Offset femoral broach handles have become more common as the anterior approach in total hip arthroplasty has increased in popularity. The difference in access to the femur compared to a posterior approach necessitates anterior and, in some cases, lateral offsets incorporated into the design of the broach handle to avoid interference with the patient's body and to ensure accessibility of the strike plate. Using a straight broach handle with a primary stem, impaction force is typically directed along the axis of the femoral broach. However, the addition of one or more offsets to facilitate an anterior approach results in force transmission in the transverse plane, which is unnecessary for eating the femoral broach. The direction of forces transmitted to the broach via strike plate impaction can introduce a large moment. A negative consequence of this moment is the amplification of stresses/strains at the bone/broach interface, which increases the likelihood of femoral fracture during impaction. It was proposed that optimizing the angle of the strike plate could minimize the moment to reduce the unintended stresses/strains at the bone/broach interface. The objective was to minimize the stresses/strains imparted to the proximal aspect of the bone femur when broaching with a given dual offset broach handle design.Introduction
Objectives
Short femoral stem use in total hip arthroplasty (THA) has increased due to positive short-term clinical and biomechanical success. A neck preserving femoral stem not only preserves proximal bone volume, but preserves the high quality bone of the medial neck. The short stem design allows for less invasive surgical exposure and less invasive violation of the femoral canal (Figure 1). Additionally, it facilitates future revision THA, if needed, with a conventional primary stem. The objective of this study was to evaluate the early clinical outcomes of the Alteon® Neck Preserving Femoral Stem (Exactech, Inc.). Forty-nine subjects (25 males, 24 females; mean age: 58.3±7.6 years; mean BMI: 29.8±5.6) from 2 sites underwent primary THA with the Alteon Neck Preserving Femoral Stem. All participants signed the informed consent, and both sites received IRB approval prior to conducting the study. Clinical data outcomes for this study included the Harris Hip Score (HHS), the Oxford Hip Score (OHS), revisions, and subsidence at 3-month, 1-year, and 2-year post-operative time points. Subsidence was measured by an independent third party. Student t-tests were used to identify significant mean differences between genders (p<0.05).INTRODUCTION
METHODS
