Failure of partial cementation to achieve implant stability and bone ingrowth: a long-term roentgen stereophotogrammetric study of tibial components

Thirty patients with gonarthrosis were operated on with the PCA primary total knee prosthesis and had the tibial component fixed to the bone by partial cementation. In the first two groups of patients, cementation was by a peripheral rim of high and low-viscosity cement, respectively. In the third group, the pegs were cemented with the low-viscosity cement. Follow-up was performed with use of clinical parameters and roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis. Clinically, the series was successful apart from a problem with tibial component wear, necessitating revision in five patients. At 8 years, the mean Hospital for Special Surgery score was 81 points. Venn-diagram scores revealed four failures and three acceptable cases; the remaining cases were satisfactory. Apart from one loose patellar component, there was no mechanical loosening. Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis showed that the tibial components moved relative to the bone; this indicated fibrous tissue fixation, which was corroborated histologically in two patients. The objective, to achieve bone ingrowth, was thus not successfully met. Radiolucent lines were consistently seen, and their size correlated with the migration as measured by roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis. Furthermore, five continuously migrating prostheses showed significantly larger radiolucent zones than the prostheses that migrated only initially, and they were less well bonded to the bone at 1 year. In conclusion, partial cementation does not appear to be a way to achieve bone ingrowth in porous-coated implants under load.