Braided cerclage wires: A biomechanical study

Abstract

Background One of the drawbacks that makes many surgeons reluctant to use cerclage wires is the risk of periosteal vascular compromise. A new, easily applied braided wire configuration has been developed to improve mechanical wire gripping and to decrease the contact area between the hardware and the bony surface. Materials and methods Braided wires with two diameters (1 mm and 1.5 mm) were compared to single-strand and double-strand wire configurations. The biomechanical properties, peak and elongation loads, and wire pressure imprint points of this new configuration were evaluated in the current study. Results The braided wire was found to have the same peak load as the double-strand wire ( P = 0.315) and more than twice the peak load than the single-strand wire ( P = 0.0001), but a much shorter elongation peak than the other two. The imprint test showed that the braided wire has an interrupted dotted pattern compared to the continuous circular one that characterises the single-strand and double-strand wires, indicating less potential damage to the bone. Conclusions The braided cerclage wire may decrease the extent of insult to the bone by decreasing the contact area between the hardware and the bony surface and by enhancing stability by reducing the elongation peak, affording increased fracture fixation stability.