Primary stability analysis of stemless shoulder implants

Abstract

Although the primary stability of joint implants is fundamental for successful osseointegration, little is know about this issue in the context of stemless shoulder implants. Considering 3D finite element models, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the primary stability of five stemless designs, based on the Sidus, SMR, Simpliciti, Eclipse, and Global Icon stemless systems. Three alternative bone quality conditions were considered for cancellous bone. For the Sidus, SMR, and Simpliciti designs, which do not possess a collar that sits on the cortical rim of the humeral resected surface, contact and no contact conditions were considered between the bone surface and the humeral head components. Micromotions at bone-implant interfaces promoting osseointegration were computed as a measure of primary stability for eight load cases consisting of peak in vivo joint loads measured during selected upper limb activities. Under good bone quality conditions, all stemless designs presented micromotions below 150 μm. The Eclipse-based and Global-Icon based designs were the least sensitive to bone quality. Stemless designs presenting a solid collar or contact between the humeral head component and bone provided more stability. Overall, the Eclipse-based and Global Icon-based designs presented the best performance from the primary stability point of view. However, if bone adaptation data available in the literature are considered along with the primary stability data computed here, the Global Icon-based design, as well as other designs, might be considered superior long-term options due to their better compromise between primary stability and impact on bone adaptation.