Compressive strength of human openwedges: a selection method

¹ Laboratoire de Mécanique des Contacts et des Solides, INSA Lyon, Bât. Coulomb, 36 avenue des Arts, 69621 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
² Laboratoire de Vibrations et Acoustique, INSA Lyon, Bât. St Exupéry, 25 bis avenue J. Capelle, 69621 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
³ Laboratoire TBF, 7 rue Vinatier, 69500 Bron, France
⁴ Clinique St Charles, 25 rue Flesselles, 69001 Lyon, France

Corresponding author: hefollet@iupui.edu

Received: 7 February 2003
Revised: 2 October 2003
Accepted: 14 October 2003
Published online: 22 December 2003

Abstract

A series of 44 samples of bone wedges of human origin, intended for allograft openwedge osteotomy and obtained without particular precautions during hip arthroplasty were re-examined. After viral inactivity chemical treatment, lyophilisation and radio-sterilisation (intended to produce optimal health safety), the compressive strength, independent of age, sex and the height of the sample (or angle of cut), proved to be too widely dispersed [10 − 158 MPa] in the first study. We propose a method for selecting samples which takes into account their geometry (width, length, thicknesses, cortical surface area). Statistical methods (Principal Components Analysis PCA, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, Multilinear regression) allowed final selection of 29 samples having a mean compressive strength σ_max = 103 MPa ± 26 and with variation [61 − 158 MPa] . These results are equivalent or greater than average materials currently used in openwedge osteotomy.