A series of 81 patients has been reviewed to determine the value of endoprosthetic replacement of the proximal femur and hip in the treatment of bone tumours. Standard statistical methods were used to evaluate the survival of the replacements and the patients. Taking removal of the prosthesis, irrespective of the cause, as the criterion for failure the survival of the replacements was found to ...

The use of biomaterials to restore the function of traumatized or degenerated connective tissues and thus improve the quality of life of a patient has become widespread. In the past, implants were designed with insufficient cognizance of biomechanics. Accordingly, the clinical results were not very encouraging. An upsurge of research activities into the mechanics of joints and biomaterials has ...

The link between low bone mineral density (BMD) scores leading to greater fracture risk is well established in the literature; what is not fully understood is the impact of total knee replacements/revisions or arthroplasties on BMD levels. This literature review attempts to answer this question. Several different databases using specific key terms were searched, with additional papers retrieved...

Loosening of total joint replacements may be caused in part by thermal necrosis of bone in contact with the high temperature of the polymerizing PMMA acrylic cement. This study reports a method to reduce the temperature of the bone-cement interface below the temperature at which bone results in definite necrosis. By precooling the acetubular component to --84 degrees before insertion into the c...

The relationship between heterotopic bone formation and the morphological type of osteoarthritis was examined after 43 hip replacements. Of the 43 hips studied, nine were atrophic, 19 were normotrophic, and 15 were hypertrophic. The incidence of heterotopic bone formation in the atrophic type was 11%, in the normotrophic type 32%, and in the hypertrophic type 87%. The difference between each ty...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Rearrangement of immunoglobulin gene segments, leading to B cells with functional receptors, is thought to be largely restricted to developing immature B cells in bone marrow. However, accumulating evidence suggests that mature B cells occasionally modify their antigen specificity by VH segment replacements during the germinal centre reaction to enhance antigen affinity, or to o...

OBJECTIVE To present the clinical and radiological results of treatment of periprosthetic fractures of the femur after hip and knee replacements. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Thirty-four patients (8 males and 26 females) with 34 fractures of the femur complicating hip and knee replacements are the subjects of this report. In 21 cases, the fracture affected the femur after hip replacement, and in 13 c...