Abstract

Loose bone and cement can promote polyethylene wear that may lead to failure in total knee arthroplasty. The authors propose a technique to enhance the debridement of loose bodies by distracting the cemented components with a lamina spreader following standard debridement with pulsatile lavage. Cement and bone/soft tissue debris was recovered from 51 consecutive primary total knee arthroplasty patients. This technique facilitated the removal of hidden debris in 80% of patients (41/51). On average, 2.6 fragments measuring 158 mm3 were removed per patient. The authors advocate that distraction with a lamina spreader be used to reduce potential sources of wear.