Biomedical subjects

N Verdonschot

Publications and source records attributed to N Verdonschot.

67 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Femoral bone loss in total knee arthroplasty. A review.

Femoral bone loss in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common feature and is mainly attributed to three etiological factors. Stress shielding causes an "osteopenia" type of bone loss behind the anterior flange and adjacent to the distal aspects of the femoral component. Using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, decrease in bone mineral density up to 44% has been measured in these areas. Secondly, polyethylene, cement and metal particles are released by implant wear and may cause the less common "osteolysis" type of bone loss located directly at the anterior and posterior implant-cement-bone interfaces. This type of bone loss occurs mainly in young, male, overweight patients with osteoarthritis. Finally, implant loosening leads to bone loss at the bone cement-implant interface and results in "hollowing out" of the distal femur in a stemmed TKA. Femoral bone loss may be reduced by diminishing the stress-shielding effect, by improving the quality of the polyethylene insert, and by decreasing the rate of implant loosening still further. In revision TKA, femoral bone loss is often underestimated in the preoperative radiographs. Classification of bone loss should be made during surgery, and should be based upon the size of the defect generated and the grade of containment. The choice among cement filling, metal augmentation, custom-made TKA, solid bone grafts, and morsellized bone grafts in reconstruction of bone defects will depend upon the type of bone loss, the bone quality, the surgeon's preference and philosophy, and the availability of grafts and implants.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed1998

Effects of prosthesis surface roughness on the failure process of cemented hip implants after stem-cement debonding.

Retrieval studies suggest that the loosening process of the cemented femoral components of total hip arthroplasties is initiated by failure of the bond between the prosthesis and the cement mantle. Finite element (FE) analyses have demonstrated that stem-cement debonding has stress-producing effects in the cement mantle. High interface friction, which corresponds to a degree of surface roughness, reduces these stresses. In experiments, however, debonded rough stems produced more cement damage than polished ones; in the Swedish Hip Register polished stems were clinically superior with respect to stems with a mat surface finish. The purpose of the present study was to investigate this contradiction. For this purpose, global and local FE models with debonded stem-cement interfaces were used to study the effects of prosthesis surface roughness on the cement stresses on a global scale and microscale, respectively. Similar to earlier numerical studies, the global FE model predicted that an increased surface roughness of the stem reduced the stresses in the cement mantle. The local model provided insight in the load-transfer mechanism on a microscale and could explain the experimental and clinical findings. The local cement peak stresses around the asperities of the surface roughness profile increased with increasing surface roughness and decreased again beyond a particular roughness value. Cement abrasion is caused by localized stresses in combination with micromotion. From this study it can be concluded that to minimize cement abrasion, debonded stems should either have a polished microstructure to minimize the local cement stresses or have a profiled macrostructure to minimize micromotions at the stem-cement interface.

Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip↗

PubMed1998

Surface roughness of debonded straight-tapered stems in cemented THA reduces subsidence but not cement damage.

Although stress analyses have shown that the mechanical endurance of cemented femoral THA reconstructions is served by stems that firmly bond to their cement mantles, retrieval studies suggest that this may be difficult to achieve. Clinical studies with roentgen stereophotogrammetric analyses have shown that stems may gradually debond from their cement mantle. Accepting the fact that stem debonding is unavoidable, stem subsidence and cement stresses can be reduced by increasing stem-cement friction, as indicated by finite element stress analyses. Hence, it can be hypothesized that debonded stems with high surface roughness values would damage the cement mantle to a lesser extent as compared to polished ones. To confirm this hypothesis, tapered stems with polished and rough surface finishes were implanted in cement mantles and cyclically loaded for 1.7 million times. It was investigated how surface roughness affected the damage in the cement mantle, and how it was related to prosthetic subsidence. The polished taper subsided considerably more than the rough one (630 vs. 270 microm at the end of the experiments). In addition, it was found that the polished taper displayed step-wise subsidence, which is probably due to the interaction of stick-slip processes at the interface, associated with creep of the acrylic cement. The rough taper subsided monotonously. Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) analysis of the taper-cement structures showed that the rough taper was completely debonded from the cement mantle, creating a gap at the interface, and that many large cement cracks and particles were created. Around the polished taper, only a few cracks were found and the taper-cement interface seemed undamaged. It was concluded that an increased surface roughness does not necessarily lead to a reduction in cement damage. On the contrary, compared to polished ones, debonded rough stems may produce more cement cracks and acrylic cement debris, and provide routes to transport these wear products. Hence, after failure of the stem-cement interface, straight-tapered stems with an increased surface roughness accelerate the failure process due to inferior fail-safe features. Consequently, in vivo subsidence patterns at the stem-cement interface should be considered in combination with the surface finish of the implant. An amount of post-operative subsidence of a rough stem may be much more damaging for the reconstruction than the same amount for a polished stem.

Bone Cements↗

PubMed1998

Effect of composite basing on the resistance to bulk fracture of industrial porcelain inlays.

OBJECTIVES: Bases are used in restorative dentistry for several reasons (i.e. isolation, elimination of undercuts, etc). Glass ionomers are the standard materials used as bases for porcelain inlays, despite the disadvantages of their mechanical properties. An alternative basing material is composite: a generous layer of posterior composite is cured and shaped in the cavity before an impression is taken. The composite basing technique has several clinical advantages. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the thickness of a composite base on the bulk fracture resistance of industrial porcelain, and to describe the procedure. METHODS: Fifteen porcelain (P) and 15 composite (C) bars, 1-, 2-, and 3-mm thick were joined to form 15 C/P bars, all 4-mm thick. Three groups were created: C 1 mm/P 3 mm (group 1), C 2 mm/P 2 mm (group 2), and C 3 mm/P 1 mm (group 3). The pairs were joined using Twinlook cement, subjected to a three-point bending test and loaded to fracture. The beam theory was used to support and explain the results. RESULTS: The fracture load means were: group 1, 197.7 +/- 18.7 N; group 2, 234.3 +/- 63.3 N, group 3, 336.3 +/- 31.3 N. Group 3 was significantly stronger than group 1 (P = 0.01) and group 2 (P = 0.03). Groups 1 and 2 were not statistically different. CONCLUSION: Composite basing is a tissue conserving method which may significantly increase the resistance to bulk fracture of adhesive porcelain inlays.

Acid Etching, Dental↗

PubMed1998

Migration, stem shape, and surface finish in cemented total hip arthroplasty.

In many recent publications it was suggested that the amount of early subsidence of a femoral stem in total hip arthroplasty is indicative for later revision. In this article it is argued that stems can be designed according to alternative objectives, resulting in different shapes and surface roughness, each producing its own characteristic postoperative subsidence pattern. It was investigated whether these inherent subsidence patterns can be estimated in preclinical testing. For that purpose two stems, both without a collar, relying on cement fixation only, were compared regarding their stress transfer, migration, and induced micromotion behavior. Finite element analysis, cyclic bench testing of substitute bone reconstructions, and clinical radiostereophotogrammetric analysis were applied. The stems investigated were the Exeter, which is assumed to be a force closed fixation design, relying on subsidence under load as a method of maintaining stability, and the SHP, as a shape closed fixation design, meant to be contained by the cement mantle. Both designs were true to their design concepts in the analyses, in the sense that migrations and micromotions of the Exeter stems far exceeded those of the SHP stems. It was found that preclinical studies such as finite element analysis or bench tests give reasonable indications of in vivo postoperative behavior. It is concluded that early clinical migration values should be considered relative to stem shape and surface finish, when prediction of later revision probability is the issue.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

The effects of cement-stem debonding in THA on the long-term failure probability of cement.

The damage accumulation failure scenario is one of the most prominent ones of cemented THA reconstruction, and involves the accumulation of mechanical damage in materials and interfaces due to repetitive dynamic loading eventually resulting in gross loosening. This study addresses this scenario by combining finite element techniques with the theory of continuum damage mechanics, to analyze the damage accumulation process in the cement mantle. It was investigated how damage accumulation was affected by stem-cement debonding, and what the effects of a layer with poor bone quality around the cement mantle were. For the unbonded stem, it was determined if clinical migration rates can be explained by failure of the cement mantle, and whether cement failure promotes the formation of a pathway for debris at the stem-cement interface. It was found that stem-cement debonding not only elevated the initial stress levels with a factor of about two to three as demonstrated in earlier studies, but remained to have an impact on the failure process of the cement mantle. Stem-cement debonding accelerated the failure process by a factor of four, and promoted the formation of a pathway for debris at the stem-cement interface, particularly when the bone support to the cement mantle was reduced. The amount of subsidence was only substantial when the damaged cement mantle was surrounded by a layer of bone with reduced stiffness. This study supports the hypothesis that the survival of cemented THA is enhanced by a firm and lasting bond between the stem and the cement mantle, although this may be difficult to realize clinically.

Bone Cements↗

PubMed1997

Cement debonding process of total hip arthroplasty stems.

Retrieval studies have indicated that debonding of the stem cement interface in total hip arthroplasty precedes clinical failure of femoral components. This study addressed the mechanisms that play a role in the debonding process by analyzing how debonding is likely to proceed in the course of time. It was investigated whether debonding is an immediate process or if it is likely to develop slowly with time, which interface stress components contribute particularly to its progression, and whether the mechanical integrity of the cement mantle is likely to be compromised by the debonding process. To answer these questions, a 3-dimensional finite element model of a femoral total hip arthroplasty reconstruction was developed and used to simulate the debonding process. The results showed that debonding was governed by the shear stress component at the interface. Debonding started in the tip region and the proximal, medial anterior region. These debonded regions expanded until the whole interface was de bonded. Cement stresses slowly increased at the end of the debonding process to a level twice as high as the initial one. The probability of debonding, as measured by an interface failure index, remained constant as debonding progressed. This indicates that, for this particular design, much less surface area is required for load transfer than is provided by the stem, and the debonding process does not necessarily accelerate quickly once debonding is initiated.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMed1997

Acrylic cement creeps but does not allow much subsidence of femoral stems.

It has been suggested that the endurance of cemented femoral reconstructions in total hip arthroplasty is affected by the creep of acrylic cement, but it is not known to what extent cement creeps under loading conditions in vivo, or how this affects load transfer. We have simulated the long-term creep properties of acrylic cement in finite-element models of femoral stem constructs and analysed their effects. We investigated whether subsidence rates measured in vivo could be explained by creep of acrylic cement, and if polished, unbonded, stems accommodated creep better than bonded stems. Our findings showed that polished prostheses subsided only about 50 microm as a result of cement creep. The long-term prosthetic subsidence rates caused by creep of acrylic cement are therefore very small and do not explain the excessive migration rates which have sometimes been reported. Cement creep did, however, relax cement stresses and create a more favourable stress distribution at the interfaces. These trends were found around both the bonded and unbonded stems. Our results did not confirm that polished, unbonded, stems accommodated creep better than bonded stems in terms of cement and interface stress patterns.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMed1996

Mechanical effects of stem cement interface characteristics in total hip replacement.

Stem cement debonding is 1 of the most common forms of fixation failure and is thought to be a prelude to gross loosening of a total hip reconstruction. However, the immediate consequences of debonding remains a matter of controversy. The dynamic effects of stem cement debonding in total hip reconstruction were analyzed using 3-dimensional finite element techniques. Stem cement interface conditions were assumed as completely bonded or unbonded, with or without friction. The dynamic effects were accounted for, as presented by the stance and swing phases of the gait cycle. It was found that both cyclic micromotions at the stem cement interface and stresses in the cement mantle were effectively reduced by friction. The friction cases produced failure probabilities of the cement mantle that were relatively close to the one generated by the bonded stem. The probability of mechanical failure of the cement bone interface decreased after debonding and decreased more with reduced stem cement friction. These results show that, although a firm and lasting bond between stem and cement may be desirable for preventing cement failure, the mechanical effects of a debonded stem are less detrimental than were assumed earlier. For straight tapered stem shapes subjected to the loading conditions described, a polished stem may be desirable for the cement bone interface mechanics.

Bone Cements↗

PubMed1996

Subsidence of THA stems due to acrylic cement creep is extremely sensitive to interface friction.

Acrylic cement, used to fixate total hip arthroplasty (THA), creeps under dynamic and static loading conditions. As a result, THA stems which are debonded from the cement, may gradually subside, depending on their shape and surface roughness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship among dynamic load, creep characteristics, interface friction, and subsidence patterns. A laboratory model consisting of a metal tapered cone, surrounded by a cement mantle, was developed. The cone was gradually compressed in the cement by a dynamic, sinusoidal axial force, cycling between 0 and 7 kN for 1.7 million cycles at a frequency of 1 Hz. Subsidence and cement strain were monitored. Two tapers were tested in this way. The relationships among subsidence, creep properties and interface friction were evaluated from a finite element (FE) model, used to simulate the experiments. In this model, the creep properties obtained in dynamic and static, tension and compression experiments measured earlier, were used. The subsidence patterns of both tapers were similar, but one subsided more than the other (380 vs 630 microns). Both subsided stepwise instead of continuous, with a frequency much smaller than that of the applied load. The characteristics of the subsidence and cement-strain patterns could be reproduced by the FE model, but not with great numerical precision. The stepwise subsidence could be explained by slip-stick mechanisms at the interface starting distally and gradually working towards proximal. Variations in friction from 0.25 to 0.50 reduced the total subsidence and the step frequency by about 50%. It was concluded that FE-models used to simulate the mechanical endurance characteristics of THA reconstructions, extended to incorporate cement creep, produce realistic results. These results showed that prosthetic subsidence under dynamic loads occurs due to cement creep. The extent of the subsidence is extremely sensitive to interface friction, hence to small variations in surface roughness and cement constitution. This may explain the relatively large variation of in vivo prosthetic subsidence rates reported in the literature.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMed1995

Dynamic creep behavior of acrylic bone cement.

Recent studies concerning the fixation of cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) have led to new hypotheses about the dynamic, long-term failure mechanisms leading to prosthetic loosening. As a result, the long-term mechanical behavior of acrylic bone cement has gained more interest since little is known about these properties. In this study, the dynamic, compressive creep deformation of acrylic bone cement was examined. An amount of creep was found, with creep strains exceeding the elastic strain during 14 x 10(6) loading cycles. There was a linear relationship between the logarithmic values of the number of loading cycles and the creep strain. The effect of stress level on the amount of creep was different from that in results of static experiments reported in the literature. Comparing the results with tensile creep experiments revealed that bone cement under a tensile load creeps much quicker than under a compressive one. Young's modulus was significantly higher when the material was loaded at higher strain rates. The bone cement became stiffer with an increasing number of loading cycles. The creep behavior of bone cement is important for the long-term behavior of cemented THA. It enables subsidence of the stem and attenuation of stress peaks in the cement mantle.

Acrylates↗

PubMed1994

Creep behavior of hand-mixed Simplex P bone cement under cyclic tensile loading.

Acrylic cement, used for the fixation of total hip replacements and other orthopedic implants, is a subject of renewed scientific interest as a result of recent hypotheses about dynamic, long-term mechanical failure mechanisms suspected to play a role in prosthetic loosening. Little is known, however, about the long-term mechanical behavior of cement. In this study, the dynamic creep deformation of hand mixed acrylic cement was examined in laboratory tests. Strain patterns found represented the familiar creep process consisting of a primary, a secondary, and a tertiary creep phase. Specimens dynamically loaded with a maximum stress of 3 MPa from 0 were subject to creep of about 50% of the elastic strain after 250 000 loading cycles. A linear relationship between the logarithmic values of the creep-strain and the number of loading cycles was found. Specimens exposed to higher loads showed significantly higher creep-strains. No relationship could be established between the strain levels and the porosity of the specimens. Specimens dynamically loaded with a maximal stress of 7 or 11 MPa from 0 failed during the tests. The number of loading cycles to failure was similar to fatigue strength data reported in earlier literature.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Generation of 3-D finite element models of restored human teeth using micro-CT techniques.

PURPOSE: This article describes the development of a three-dimensional finite element model of a premolar based on a microscale computed tomographic (CT) data-acquisition technique. The development of the model is part of a project studying the optimal design and geometry of adhesive tooth-colored cusp-replacing restorations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The premolar was digitized with a micro CT scanner with a resolution of 13 microns. Surface contours were fitted to the various materials, after which a 3-D finite element mesh was constructed to the contours. To demonstrate the potential use of the resulting model, it was applied to a cusp-replacing resin composite restoration. RESULTS: The stress patterns generated in the composite material were truly 3-D. Stress concentrations were found at the surface where the load was applied and in the vicinity of the dentin-composite bonding surface, where the interface had its complex geometry. CONCLUSION: The described procedure is an easy method to produce a highly detailed 3-D finite element model of a premolar with an adhesive cusp-replacing restoration.

Bicuspid↗