Prophylactic bioactive screw fixation as an alternative augmentation for femoroplasty

Femoroplasty is theoretically a prophylactic surgical procedure for femoral neck fracture. Although bone cement is generally used for augmentation, its distribution cannot be easily controlled. This study investigated whether a bioactive screw is feasible for femoroplasty as an alternative augmentation material. A mechanical test was done to compare the strength of four types of augmentation bioactive screw (Superfixsorb), two bioinert cements, or no intervention in a composite femoral bone. The peak load to fracture under simulated falling was compared among the four groups. The mean peak load to failure in the bioactive screw group (2667 N) was significantly higher than that in the intact group (2391 N) (p=0.028), comparable to that in the Simplex P cement group (2864 N) (p=0.11), and significantly lower than that of the cranioplastic cement group (3022 N) (p=0.006). The strength of a composite femur with the bioactive screw was higher than that of an intact bone and comparable to one cement augmentation. Thus, this bioactive screw can be potentially used as augmentation material for femoroplasty.