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Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume)
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1753193408093808v1
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Article

Analysis of the mechanism of fracture of silicone metacarpophalangeal prostheses

T.J. Joyce*

From the Centre for Rehabilitation and Engineering Studies (CREST), School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.


  Abstract

Eleven fractured Sutter metacarpophalangeal prostheses were obtained from the hands of three patients. All of the implants had fractured at the junction of the distal stem and the hinge. After visual examination, the fracture faces were prepared and viewed using a scanning electron microscope. These images indicated that fracture was initiated by abrasion on the dorsal aspect of the distal stem of the prostheses, close to the hinge. Crack propagation was shown to be due to a fatigue process. Once a crack started, its direction of travel could be followed, using topographical features common to engineering fracture analyses. Propagation was from radial to ulnar and from dorsal to palmar.

Key Words: metacarpophalangeal, sutter, prosthesis, silicone, Swanson

First published on October 20, 2008, doi:10.1177/1753193408093808

Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume) 2009;34:18.

A more recent version of this article appeared on February 1, 2009

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