Background Previous in vitro research on addition of antibiotics to bone cement has found no statistically significant deterioration in mechanical properties. However, no clinical studies have compared the performance of tobramycin-laden bone cement with that of standard bone cement (Simplex P).Patients and Methods 23 patients (25 hips) were randomized to receive an Exeter (Stryker Orthopaedics) femoral stem cemented with either Simplex P (standard) or Simplex T (tobramycin-laden) cement. There were 2 years of follow-up, with scheduled radiostereometric (RSA) examinations.Results All stems migrated distally and showed some degree of retroversion. No clinically significant differences in stem subsidence or retroversion were found between the Simplex T and Simplex P cement groups after 2 years. Overall subsidence was less than in previous studies, probably due to a postponed initial post-surgical examination. Rates of subsidence in both cement groups were consistent with those from previous studies of Exeter stems.Interpretation Subsidence of the femoral stem after 2 years was similar in the Simplex T (tobramycin-laden) and Simplex P (standard) groups.

Aims The introduction of a novel design of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) must achieve outcomes at least as good as existing designs. A novel design of TKA with a reducing radius of the femoral component and a modified cam-post articulation has been released and requires assessment of the fixation to bone. Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) of the components within the first two postoperative years has been shown to be predictive of medium- to long-term fixation. The aim of this study was to assess the stability of the tibial component of this system during this period of time using RSA. Patients and Methods A cohort of 30 patients underwent primary, cemented TKA using the novel posterior stabilized fixed-bearing (ATTUNE) design. There was an even distribution of men and women (15:15). The mean age of the patients was 64 years (sd 8) at the time of surgery; their mean body mass index (BMI) was 35.4 kg/m 2 (sd 7.9). RSA was used to assess the stability of the tibial component at 6, 12, and 24 months compared with a six-week baseline examination. Patient-reported outcome measures were also assessed. Results The mean maximum total point motion (MTPM) of the tibial component between 12 and 24 months postoperatively was 0.08 mm (sd 0.08), which is well below the published threshold of 0.2 mm (p < 0.001). Patient-reported outcome measures consistently improved. Conclusion The tibial component of this novel design of TKA showed stability between assessment 12 and 24 months postoperatively, suggesting an acceptably low risk of medium- to long-term failure due to aseptic loosening.

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