Use of Cement Gun for Fixation of Tibia Component in Total Knee Arthroplasty

We evaluated the efficacy of a cement gun to improve the depth of cement penetration in total knee arthroplasty. Ninety-one consecutive patients from two hospitals were recruited for this study. For Group I cement was applied to the tibial baseplate and the proximal tibia with fingers. Group 2 had similar application of cement to the tibial baseplate but cement was pressurized into the proximal tibia using a cement gun.. The knee was kept extended until the cement hardened. Standard post-operative x-rays were reviewed to assess cement penetration into the proximal tibia. The mean cement penetration was 2.1 mm in Group 1 and 3.1 mm in Group 2 and the difference was statistically significant. The use of the cement gun improves cement penetration into the proximal tibia and facilitates early stability of the implant fixation to the bone.