Recent advances in the use of serological bone formation markers to monitor callus development and fracture healing.

The failure of an osseous fracture to heal, or the development of a nonunion, is common; however, current diagnostic measures lack the capability of early and reliable detection of such events. Analyses of radiographic imaging and clinical examination, in combination, remain the gold standard for diagnosis; however, these methods are not reliable for early detection. Delayed diagnosis of a nonunion is costly from both the patient and treatment standpoints.

Time-dependent fixation and implantation forces for a femoral knee component--an in vitro study.

Implant survival rate is a primary concern for individuals receiving a primary total knee arthroplasty. Loosening is the primary reason for revision surgery and was therefore the focus of the current study. To better understand the mechanics of implant fixation, the time-dependent fixation of a femoral knee component was measured in vitro on three cadaveric femurs.

Hydrophilic-hydrophobic hydrogels for cartilage replacement.

A new class of hydrogels combining both hydrophilic and hydrophobic structures are presented. Hydrogels have been investigated as cartilage replacement materials due to the high water content potentially leading to low friction, low wear, and rubbery or pliable nature similar to native cartilage. Unfortunately, many of these hydrogels lack the required shear, tear, and creep strength necessary to be used as cartilage replacement materials.

Compressive properties of trabecular bone in the distal femur.

Early loosening and implant migration are two problems that lead to failures in cementless (press-fit) femoral knee components of total knee replacements. To begin to address these early failures, this study determined the anterior-posterior mechanical properties from four locations in the human distal femur. Thirty-three cylindrical specimens were removed perpendicular to the press-fit surface after the surgical cuts on 10 human cadaveric femurs (age 71.