Clodronate prevents prosthetic migration - A randomized radiostereometric study of 50 total knee patients

In a double-blind study, Ne randomized 50 patients to receive peroral clodr onate medication or placebo from 3 weeks before until 6 months after a tota l knee replacement with a cemented NexGen implant. Migration of the tibial components was measured by radiostereometry at 1 year. Clodronate reduced p rosthetic migration, as measured by maximum total point motion, from 0.40 m m to 0.29 mm (p = 0.01). This confirms that the early postoperative migrati on is related to bone resorption and thus the biology of the bone bed. Sinc e early migration is related to late loosening, 6 months of clodronate medi tation might reduce the risk of loosening.