Effect of cementing technique and cement type on thermal necrosis in hip resurfacing arthroplasty--a numerical study

Femoral fractures within resurfacing implants have been associated with bone necrosis, possibly resulting from heat generated by cement polymerization. The amount of heat generated depends on cement mantle volume and type of cement. Using finite element analysis, the effect of cement type and volume on thermal necrosis was analyzed. Based on CT-data of earlier implantations, two different models were created: a thick mantle model, representing a low-viscosity "cement filling" technique, and a thin mantle model, representing a high viscosity "cement packing" technique. Six cement types were analyzed. The polymerization heat generation and its effect on bone necrosis were predicted. In the thin cement mantle models, no thermal necrosis was predicted. Thick cement mantle models produced thermal necrosis at the cement-bone interface depending on cement type. In the worst case, 6% of the bone at the cement-bone interface became necrotic, covering almost the entire cross-sectional area. The current findings suggest a potential thermal drawback of thick cement mantles, although it is unclear whether thermal bone necrosis significantly affects implant fixation or increases the fracture risk. Furthermore, our study showed distinct differences between the heat generated and resulting thermal damage caused by the various cement types.