OCCLUSION AND STABILITY OF SYNTHETIC FEMORAL CANAL PLUGS USED IN CEMENTED HIP-ARTHROPLASTY

The occlusion and stability of five synthetic plugs used to restrict t he femoral canal prior to cemented arthroplasty was assessed, A model was employed consisting of a hollow wooden dowel to simulate the canal , with adapters fixed to both ends to accommodate cement insertion and pressurization, and to produce a closed distal cavity, Three differen t canal diameters within the range accommodated by the plug selected w ere employed to assess insertion force, distal pressure during both in sertion and pressurization of acrylic cement, and plug migration and l eakage for each device, There was a wide variation among plugs in the magnitudes of the force and distal pressure upon plug insertion, Durin g cement pressurization, cement leakage and/or plug migration was note d in all trials, and either of these events resulted in pressure rises in the distal cavity, Most notably, differences of only 0.5 mm in the diameter of the canal resulted in marked changes in the occlusion and stability achieved, It is concluded that for the range of canal sizes anticipated intraoperatively, these synthetic plugs appear deficient to varying extents in their ability to occlude or remain stable in the intramedullary canal. (C) 1995 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.