Cold flow reduced by metal backing. An in vivo roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis of unicompartmental tibial components.

Thirty-six cases of unicompartmental arthroplasty for gonarthrosis were followed for 6 years. The arthroplasties were prepared for roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) by marking the tibial components and the tibial methaphysis with tantalum balls. Nineteen out of 24 cases with a polyethylene tibial component had an increase in intermarker distances signifying progressive enlargement of the prosthesis due to cold flow. The enlargement was up to 2.8 percent of the circumference and was greater for 9 mm than for 12 mm thick components. Twelve cases with a metal-backed tibial component showed no cold flow. No correlation between cold flow and demographic, clinical, or radiographic data was found.