Abstract
The temperature in the tibia and in the saw blade were recorded during 30 knee arthroplasty operations. In the saw blade the median maximum temperature was 681°C(45–100°C). The corresponding bone temperatures at two levels approximately 2 and 3 mm below the cutting surface were 47°C and 42°C, respectively. Irrigation of the saw area with physiologic saline solution had only a minimal effect. During the cement-curing process, the temperature was 37°C (31–50°C) at the cement-bone interface. We conclude that the cutting procedure generates heat above the critical temperature for bone necrosis that may harm prosthetic fixation, notably for bone ingrowth.