Cementless Option for Shoulder Implant

By HospiMedica staff writers
Posted on 05 Apr 2001
The Anatomical Shoulder in a press-fit option for implant fixation offers both cementless and cemented options. The press-fit option gives surgeons greater ability to match each patient's unique anatomy and condition and meets the broad diversity of physician techniques and design preferences. The shoulder is indicated for advanced wear of the joint, fractures or avascular necrosis, and conditions consequent to prior operations.

Traditionally, shoulder implants are secured in the body by acrylic bone cement. However, some surgeons prefer cementless fixation, especially in younger patients with good quality bone. The press-fit stem of the Anatomical Shoulder is made from titanium, a material noted for its biocompatibility. To further aid fixation, the stem's surfaces are grit-blasted. Distal flutes provide rotational stability. The shoulder is the product of Sulzer Orthopedics, Inc. The company states that it is the only shoulder system to address multiple dimensions in offset, retroversion, and inversion in recreating the patient's own anatomy.

"Now the surgeon has a prosthesis that not only allows for cementless fixation, but anatomical reconstruction of the proximal humeral anatomy. This will likely affect the overall longevity of shoulder arthroplasty in each patient,” said Dr. Jon Warner, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, USA).




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