[Bone/cement interface reactions following several years of implantation and consequences for its fixation]

Retrieved femora with fixed cemented hip arthroplasties were sectioned horizontally. Bone sections were prepared of the whole cross-sectional area to study the bone/cement-interface (bci) histologically and morphometrically. The interface between bone and cement mainly consists of a thin (< 25 microns) connective tissue layer. Demineralized zones were in parts found, this tendency seems to slightly increase in time. The bone newly formed at the bci is structured like thick trabecular bone or like dense cortical bone. A strong fixation seems possible even if a thin connective tissue layer exists, and a complete adaptation of the implant to the bone is not necessary, as the bone adapts as well.