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Optimizing the fat and water content of impaction bone allograft
Author(s) -
McKenna Paul B.,
Leahy J.J.,
Masterson Eric L.,
McGloughlin Timothy M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of orthopaedic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.041
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1554-527X
pISSN - 0736-0266
DOI - 10.1002/jor.22213
Subject(s) - impaction , bone mineral content , content (measure theory) , water content , environmental science , medicine , dentistry , geology , mathematics , bone density , osteoporosis , geotechnical engineering , mathematical analysis
Fresh morselized impacted bone graft usually fails due to shear forces. The presence of fat, water, and marrow particles act as interparticle lubricants, reducing the interlocking of particles and allowing the graft to move more freely. Furthermore, the presence of this incompressible fluid damps and resists compressive forces during impaction, preventing the graft particles from moving into a closer formation. We believe there exists an ideal concentration of fat and water that will maximize resistance to shear forces. We performed mechanical shear testing in vitro on morselized human femoral heads, varying the amount of fat and water to determine their optimum concentrations. Level of fat and water were determined that increased strength by 36% over unaltered bone graft. This is most closely approximated in an operating room by washing and subsequently squeezing the bone graft. Optimizing the fat and water content of bone graft produces a stronger graft that is more resistant to shear stresses, protecting the surgical construct until bone growth can occur. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31: 243–248, 2013