The effects of cement-stem debonding in THA on the long-term failure probability of cement

The damage accumulation failure scenario is one of the most prominent ones of cemented THA reconstruction, and involves the accumulation of mechanical damage in materials and interfaces due to repetitive dynamic loading, eventually resulting in gross loosening. This study addresses this scenario by combining finite element techniques with the theory of continuum damage mechanics, to analyze the damage accumulation process in the cement mantle. It was investigated how damage accumulation was affected by stem-cement debonding, and what the effects of a layer with poor bone quality around the cement mantle were. For the unbonded stem, it was determined if clinical migration rates can be explained by failure of the cement mantle, and whether cement failure promotes the formation of a pathway for debris at the stem-cement interface. It was found that stem-cement debonding not only elevated the initial stress levels with a factor of about two to three as demonstrated in earlier studies, but remained to have an impact on the failure process of the cement mantle. Stem-cement debonding accelerated the failure process by a factor of four, and promoted the formation of a pathway for debris at the stem-cement interface, particularly when the bone support to the cement mantle was reduced. The amount of subsidence was only substantial when the damaged cement mantle was surrounded by a layer of bone with reduced stiffness. This study supports the hypothesis that the survival of cemented THA is enhanced by a firm and lasting bond between the stem and the cement mantle, although this may be difficult to realize clinically.