The dovetail configuration: A biomechanical analysis of a v-shaped osteotomy docking site

Abstract

Large allograft bones are commonly used in limb salvage procedures for the reconstruction of bone defects after resection of a bone tumor. A V-shaped osteotomy may perform better than the traditional transverse osteotomy as it increases the stability of the docking site and increases the contact area between an allograft and the host cortex. The aim of this study is to investigate the biomechanical properties of a V-shaped docking site of different angles. Porcine femurs with 45°, 60° or 90° V-shaped osteotomy were first tested with 1000 N compression, followed by 2 and 5 Nm torque. The torsional stiffness of the 45° specimen group at 5 Nm torque was significantly higher (P > 0.05) than the 90° group. Therefore, our results show that 45° V-shaped osteotomy is found to be the most stable docking angle. © World Scientific Publishing Company.