Effect of Porous Lattices on Hemiarthroplasty Implant Compliance

Description

In this presentation, Jessica Benitah discusses her study on how implementing porous lattices can enhance implant compliance in hemiarthroplasty, specifically focusing on the radiocapitellar joint where the radius interacts with the capitellum. She explains that hemiarthroplasty is preferred for its tissue preservation, quicker recovery, and lower costs, yet acknowledges the issue of accelerated wear in opposing cartilage due to stiffness mismatches between current implants and native cartilage. Benitah highlights her research aim of improving articular contact mechanics by incorporating porous internal structures in implants.



The study utilized the 24 mm evolve protein radiohead system, with models 3D printed to have properties significantly closer to that of human cartilage. Porosity levels varied using different internal strut diameters, creating lattices with 64-80% porosity in comparison to solid and native radiohead models. The implants underwent mechanical testing against human cadaver specimens to assess contact mechanics under load, with the hypothesis that porous structures would increase contact area and reduce pressure.



Results demonstrated that porous implants lowered the effective moduli, approaching that of cartilage, and shown statistically significant increases in contact area with greater porosity. It was noted that larger internal strut diameters (0.9 mm) offered improved contact area compared to smaller sizes. Ultimately, the study concluded that hemiarthroplasty implants featuring porous internal lattices significantly improve articular contact mechanics.

DOI: 10.1302/3114-220870

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