Can High-friction Intraannular Material Increase Screw Pullout Strength in Osteoporotic Bone?

Background Osteoporotic bone brings unique challenges to orthopaedic surgery, including a higher likelihood of problematic screw stripping in cancellous bone. Currently, there are limited options to satisfactorily repair stripped screws. Additionally, nonstripped screws hold with less purchase in osteoporotic bone. Questions/purposes This study attempts to answer the following questions: (1) Does high-friction intraannular (HFIA) augmentation increase pullout strength in osteoporotic and in severely osteoporotic bone; and (2) can HFIA repair stripped bone thread in osteoporotic and severely osteoporotic bone? Methods We measured screw pullout strength using a synthetic bone model in three groups: (1) predrilled nonstripped control holes as controls; (2) predrilled nonstripped augmented with HFIA; and (3) predrilled stripped holes repaired with HFIA. We tested this in osteoporotic and severely osteoporotic synthetic bone for a total of six test groups. We measured screw pullout force using an electromechanical tensile-testing machine comparing pullout force between the test groups and controls. Results HFIA augmentation did not increase pullout force compared with the control group in the osteoporotic bone model (489 ± 175 versus 607 ± 76, respectively; effect size = 0.94 [95% confidence interval {CI}, −1.75 to 0.08], p = 0.06). However, in severely osteoporotic cancellous bone that was augmented, the HFIA material generated more pullout force than the control (51 ± 18 versus 35 ± 16, respectively; effect size = 0.94 [95% CI, −0.02 to 1.82], p = 0.05). In stripped holes, HFIA partially restored pullout strength but remained weaker than controls in both osteoporotic and severely osteoporotic bone models (osteoporotic: 320 ± 59 versus 607 ± 76, respectively; effect size = −4.28 [95% CI, −5.57 to −2.51], p