In vivo measurement of acetabular cement pressurization using a simple newdesign of cement pressurizer

Aseptic loosening of the acetabular component remains a limiting factor in the long-term success of total hip replacement. An instrumented pressurizer has been designed to allow the intraoperative measurement of acetabular ce ment pressurization, which is known to contribute to implant fixation. Aver age intraoperative cement pressures in 16 operations performed by 2 surgeon s were 49 +/- 17 kPa (6.4 +/- 2.3 psi) and 47 +/- 17 kPa (6.2 +/- 2.2 psi), and peak pressures were 76 +/- 5 kPa (10.0 +/- 0.6 psi) and 93 +/- 15 kPa (12.2 +/- 1.9 psi), comparable to previous work in vitro. The pressurizatio n required for optimal cement penetration into cleaned low-density cancello us bone is reported to be of the order of 35 to 50 kPa (4.6-6.0 psi) for 30 to 60 seconds, and the present data show that this is attainable in vivo u sing a simple device.