Fa. Difazio et al., PREVENTION OF LONGITUDINAL CRACK-PROPAGATION AROUND A FEMORAL PROSTHESIS - A STUDY OF CERCLAGE WIRE FIXATION, Clinical biomechanics, 8(5), 1993, pp. 274-276
This study examined the effect of single versus triple-wrap cerclage f
ixation techniques in preventing propagation of a longitudinal fractur
e around a cementless femoral prosthesis. A proximal filling femoral c
omponent was implanted in 14 matched pairs of fresh-frozen bovine femo
ra, following placement of a 45-mm longitudinal crack in the anteromed
ial cortical wall of the proximal femur. In one group of seven pairs,
a single cerclage wire was applied to one specimen of each pair. A tri
ple-wrap of a single cerclage wire was similarly placed in one specime
n of each of the other seven pairs. All specimens were axially loaded
on a materials testing system machine and the force required to propag
ate the fracture of the proximal femur was recorded. A triple-wrap cer
clage technique required a significant increase in the force to propag
ate a proximal femur fracture around a non-cemented prosthesis when co
mpared to a single cerclage wire.