Dr. Sumner et al., EFFECT OF PEGS AND SCREWS ON BONE INGROWTH IN CEMENTLESS TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY, Clinical orthopaedics and related research, (309), 1994, pp. 150-155
The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of pegs and
screws on bone ingrowth into the tibial component in cementless total
knee replacement. Left total knee replacements were performed in 21 m
ature male dogs with 3 cementless porous-coated tibial tray configurat
ions (7 animals per group): (1) 4-peg design implanted with cortical s
crews passing through the pegs; (2) 4-peg design implanted without scr
ews; and (3) pegless design secured by 4 cortical screws. The animals
were allowed unrestricted activity and were euthanized 6 months postop
eratively. The pegless components (Group 3) had the highest extent of
bone ingrowth into the tray (90.3% +/- 9.4%), followed by the componen
ts with 4 pegs only (Group 2, 82.8% +/- 9.2%), and the components with
4 pegs and 4 screws (Group 1, 75.9% +/- 11.8%). The difference betwee
n Groups 1 and 3 was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The volume
fraction of bone ingrowth in the tray did not differ among the 3 group
s, with an overall mean of 22.5% (+/-4.6%). At the posterolateral quad
rant, Group 1 had significantly less bone ingrowth than Group 3 within
the tray whether measured as the extent (63.6% +/- 20.5% versus 91.0%
+/- 10.6%, p < 0.05) or volume fraction (19.1% +/- 8.8% versus 32.9%
+/- 10.5%, p < 0.05). There were no between-group differences at the o
ther quadrants. This study indicated that pegs provided no added benef
it in a circumstance where sufficient initial fixation was obtained wi
th screws.