Objectives. Orthopaedic surgeons use stems in revision knee surgery to obtain
stability when metaphyseal bone is missing. No consensus exists
regarding stem size or method of fixation. This in vitro study
investigated the influence of stem length and method of fixation
on the pattern and level of relative motion at the bone–implant
interface at a range of functional flexion angles. Methods. A custom test rig using differential variable reluctance transducers
(DVRTs) was developed to record all translational and rotational
motions at the bone–implant interface. Composite femurs were used.
These were secured to permit variation in flexion angle from 0°
to 90°. Cyclic loads were applied through a tibial component based
on three peaks corresponding to 0°, 10° and 20° flexion from a normal
walking cycle. Three different femoral components were investigated
in this study for cementless and cemented interface conditions. Results. Relative motions were found to increase with flexion angle. Stemmed
implants reduced relative motions in comparison to stemless implants
for uncemented constructs. Relative motions for cemented implants
were reduced to one-third of their equivalent uncemented constructs. Conclusions. Stems are not necessary for cemented implants when the metaphyseal
bone is intact. Short
