Background: Loosening of the glenoid component in total shoulder arthroplasty is the main late complication of this procedure; it may be assumed that it is highly dependent on the quality of the glenoid cancellous bone. Very little is known about the mechanical properties of this cancellous bone. The aim of this study was to determine these properties (Young's modulus and strength) as well as bone density in different parts of the glenoid cancellous bone to assess their variations.
Methods: Eleven scapulas were obtained from six fresh-frozen, unembalmed human cadavers. Eighty-two cubic cancellous bone specimens were extracted and tested using a uniaxial compression test; then the specimens were defatted and correlations with bone density were determined.
Findings: The study showed significant differences in the mechanical properties with anatomic location and directions of loading. Young's modulus and strength were found to be significantly higher at the posterior part of the glenoid with the weakest properties at the antero-inferior part. Cancellous bone was found to be anisotropic with higher mechanical properties in the latero-medial direction perpendicular to the articular surface of the glenoid. The apparent density was on average equal to 0.29 g/cm(3) with the higher values at the posterior and superior part of the glenoid. Good correlation between apparent density and elastic modulus was found only in the sagittal planes but not in the coronal and axial plane.
Interpretation: The mechanical properties determined in this study showed the anisotropy of the glenoid cancellous bone; values of these properties could provide input data for finite element method analyses in shoulder prosthesis designs.
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