OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare the results of three types of short segment screw fixation for thoracolumbar burst fracture accompanying osteopenia. METHODS The records of 70 patients who underwent short segment screw fixation for a thoracolumbar burst fracture accompanying osteopenia (-2.5< mean T score by bone mineral densitometry <-1.0) from January 2005 to January 2008 ...

BACKGROUND Orthopaedic surgeons often face clinical situations where improved screw holding power in cancellous bone is needed. Injectable calcium phosphate cements are one option to enhance fixation. METHODS Paired screw pullout tests were undertaken in which human cadaver bone was augmented with calcium phosphate cement. A finite element model was used to investigate sensitivity to screw po...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of implant shape and bone preparation on the primary stability of the implants using resonance frequency analysis. METHODS Sixty bovine rib blocks were used for soft and hard bone models. Each rib block received two types of dental implant fixtures; a straight-screw type and tapered-screw type. Final drilling was done at three diff...

BACKGROUND It has been observed clinically that the Z-effect is a potential cause of failure of an intramedullary nail with two cephalic screws. It describes the migration behavior of the cephalic screws in the femoral head. The primary objective was to examine different cephalic screw configurations and test the load distribution between them as a function of their relative placement and their...

BACKGROUND Pedicle screw pullout due to poor bone quality, mainly caused by osteoporosis, is a common problem in spine surgery. Special implants and techniques, especially PMMA augmentation, were developed to improve the fixation of pedicle screws. PMMA injection into a pilot hole or through a screw involves the same risks as vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, regardless of the technique used. Espe...

OBJECTIVE Transpedicular instrumentation of the osteoporotic spine is a challenge for the spine surgeon due to the probability of screw loosening and the potential possibility of nonunion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of bone cement augmented screw fixation in patients with severe osteoporosis. METHODS Between February 2004 and August 2007, 250 patients with...

A preliminary study of acoustic emission during orthopaedic screw fixation was performed using polyurethane foam as the bone-simulating material. Three sets of screws, a dynamic hip screw, a small fragment screw and a large fragment screw, were investigated, monitoring acoustic-emission activity during the screw tightening. In some specimens, screws were deliberately overtightened in order to i...

BACKGROUND In the present biomechanical study, the torsional stability of different interference screws, made of bovine bone, was tested. Interference screws derived from bovine bone are a possible biological alternative to conventional metallic or bioabsorbable polymer interference screws. METHODS In the first part of the study we compared the torsional stability of self-made 8 mm Interferen...

BACKGROUND Understanding of implant failure mechanisms is important in the successful utilization of anterior cervical plates. Many variables influence screw purchase, including the quality of the bone. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of screw pullout and screw insertional torque across a wide range of bone mineral densities (BMDs). METHODS A total of 54 cervical vert...

A retrospective review of 21 patients that underwent bone screw removal from the elbow was studied in relation to the type of metal, duration of implantation, and the location of the screws about the elbow. Screw failure during extraction was the dependent variable. Five of 21 patients experienced hardware failure during extraction. Fourteen patients had titanium alloy implants. In four cases, ...