Retrieval studies based on revision operations at King Edwards VII Hospital reveal that, although micro-cracks develop in the cement mantle, it is the debonding between cement and bone that often defines the final failure of cemented acetabular replacements. This was illustrated at the revision surgeries by the easy removal of the acetabular cups with cement mostly attached to the cup. It is felt that a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that initiate and propagate the interfacial failure at the bone-cement interface is the key towards solving the problem.

In this work, in-vitro fatigue tests were carried out on cemented acetabular replacements using third-generation of composite pelvic bones. Standard Charnley cups were implanted using common bone cement, CMW, following the standard surgical procedures. The implanted hemi-pelvic bone model was then constrained at the sacro-iliac and pubic joints to represent the anatomic constraint conditions. Cyclic loads representing the maximum range of the hip contact force during normal walking were used and the direction of the maximum hip contact force was achieved by using angled plates. In addition to standard cup position, open cup and retroverted cup positions were also examined to assess the significance of cup orientation under fatigue loading conditions.

Damage development in the reconstruction was monitored using CT scanning at regular intervals. Permanent records were collected and the sample was eventually sectioned and polished for microscopic studies. Results show excellent correlations between the results from the CT images and the microscopic studies, indicating progressive bone-cement interfacial failure in the posterior-superior quadrant.

The significance of the work in the studies of ‘aseptic loosening’ will be discussed.