The influence of surface porosity on gap-healing around intra-articular implants in the presence of migrating particles

The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of two different porous coatings on bone ongrowth and on the peri-implant migration of polyethylene (PE) particles. Porous-coated cylindrical implants with an either plasma-sprayed closed-pore coating (Pl) or titanium fiber metal open-pore coating (Fi) were inserted intra-articular in exact fit or with a 0.75 mm peri-implant gap. A weight-loaded implant device in the distal femur was used. We used a randomized paired design in eight dogs. PE particles were injected repeatedly intra-articular in the knee until the dogs were killed after 8 weeks. Fi implants had significantly more bone ongrowth 8 (0–21)% compared with Pl implants 0 (0–0)% in gap situations and reduced the number of peri-implant PE particles significantly. Among exact-fitted implants we found that peri-implant tissue around Pl implants consisted of significantly more fibrous tissue than around Fi implants. A sealing effect against the migration of PE particles was found for both Fi and Pl implants in exact fit.