EVALUATION OF NEW CEMENTING TECHNIQUE FOR IMPLANTS

THE MIXED CLINICAL PERFORMANCE OF POLYMETHYLMETHACRYLATE BONE CEMENTS HAS LED TO WIDESPREAD APPLICATION OF "PRESS-FIT" OR POROUS INGROWTH PROCEDURES. 1-3 MM GAPS BETWEEN BONE AND IMPLANTS IN THESE "CEMENTLESS" PROCEDURES ARE BELIEVED TO CONTRIBUTE TO IMPLANT LOOSENING, PROGRESSIVETHIGH PAIN, AND CLINICAL FAILURE. A NEW CALCIUM PHOSPHATE CEMENT USED IN COMBINATION WITH THESE "CEMENTLESS" TOTAL HIP PROSTHESES, WOULD INITIALLY STABILIZE THE IMPLANT BY FILLING GAPS AT BONE-IMPLANT SURFACE INTERFACES, AND SUBSEQUENTLY ENCOURAGE BONE INGROWTHAS THE "GROUT" IS RESORBED. THE PRESENT RESEARCH PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE BASIC BIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO DIFFERENT CALCIUM PHOSPHATE CEMENT FORMULATIONS. BONE INGROWTH INFILTRATION INTO THE CEMENTS WILL BE COMPARED WITH "CEMENTLESS" CONTROLS. A KEY PARAMETER OF INTEREST IS HOW FUNDAMENTAL CHEMICAL, CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC, AND MICROSTRUCTURAL PARAMETERS INFLUENCE RATE OF RESORPTIN OF THE CALCIUM PHORPHATE CEMENTS AND THE CORRESPONDING INFLUENCE ON RATE OF BONE INGROWTH. DATA GENERATED FROM THIS FUNDAMENTAL STUDY WILL HELP EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF THIS NEW BIOMATERIAL FOR OTHER CLINICAL APPLICATIONS IN THE SPINE, HEAD AND NECK, AND APPENDICULAR SKELETON. SUPERBONE COULD BE APPLIED IN AS MANY AS 180,000 TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY PROCEDURES ANNUALLY, AND MAY FIND IMPORTANT USES IN OTHER SIGNIFICANT ORTHOPAEDIC AND DENTAL APPLICATIONS.