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Cement-augmented screw fixation for calcaneal fracture treatment: a biomechanical study comparing two injectable bone
Konrad F Fuchs1, Philipp Heilig1, Miriam McDonogh1
1Department of Orthopaedic Trauma, Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Str. 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Background:
The role of cement-augmented screw fixation for calcaneal fracture treatment remains unclear. Therefore, this study was performed to biomechanically analyze screw osteosynthesis by reinforcement with either a calcium phosphate (CP)-based or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)-based injectable bone cement.
Methods:
A calcaneal fracture (Sanders type IIA) including a central cancellous bone defect was generated in 27 synthetic bones, and the specimens were assigned to 3 groups. The first group was fixed with four screws (3.5 mm and 6.5 mm), the second group with screws and CP-based cement (Graftys® QuickSet; Graftys, Aix-en-Provence, France), and the third group with screws and PMMA-based cement (Traumacem™ V+; DePuy Synthes, Warsaw, IN, USA). Biomechanical testing was conducted to analyze peak-to-peak displacement, total displacement, and stiffness in following a standardized protocol.
Results:
The peak-to-peak displacement under a 200-N load was not significantly different among the groups; however, peak-to-peak displacement under a 600- and 1000-N load as well as total displacement exhibited better stability in PMMA-augmented screw osteosynthesis compared to screw fixation without augmentation. The stiffness of the construct was increased by both CP- and PMMA-based cements.
Conclusion:
Addition of an injectable bone cement to screw osteosynthesis is able to increase fixation strength in a biomechanical calcaneal fracture model with synthetic bones. In such cases, PMMA-based cements are more effective than CP-based cements because of their inherently higher compressive strength. However, whether this high strength is required in the clinical setting for early weight-bearing remains controversial, and the non-degradable properties of PMMA might cause difficulties during subsequent interventions in younger patients.
