In Vitro Performance of Eight Intramedullary Cement Restrictorsin Total Hip Arthroplasty

INTRODUCTION: Contemporary cementing techniques in total hip arthroplasty include the use of a cement restrictor to occlude the intramedullary canal. In the 80 ́s occlusion of the distal intramedullary canal was done with a bone plug or by sealing with bone cement. Today, with the evolvement of biomaterials in Orthopaedic surgery numerous plug designs and materials (non-resorbable, resorbable) are available. Regardless of design, however, intramedullary cement leakage and plug migration during cement and stem insertion should not occur to ensure adequate intramedullary pressures. As there are many different designs currently available it was the aim of our study to compare the stability of eight different systems (Fig. 1) with regard to biomechanical stability (distal motion of plug) and canal occlusion during standardized cement pressurization.