Aim: The objective of this study was to compare the initial stability of an uncemented curved long stem femoral component (ABR, Zimmer, Warsaw Indiana) implanted using conventional broaching to an uncemented ABR implanted as a revision using morselized compacted allograft to fill a circumferential proximal bone defect.

Materials and Methods: Primary: Eight fresh frozen human femurs were implanted with correctly sized ABR stems without cement using standard surgical instruments and 1mm distal overreaming. The implant was loaded cyclically at 3 hz on a MTS servohdraulic materials test frame in a direction representing the peak force of the stance phase of the gait (2.5 X body weight). A 3-dimensional motion measurement device with six linear variable transformers measure the relative motion between the bone and the prosthesis with an accuracy of 0.5μm. The contruct was loaded in ten cycle increments until the component was seated and then recoverable motion was recorded over a further ten loading cycles. Revision: In the revision case bone loss was modelled by removing all the cancellous bone from the proximal femur with 1mm distal overreaming. Morselized bone graft was impacted into the defect using specially prepared smooth tamps shaped to the geometry of the ABR stem. The original prosthesis was then reimplanted without the use of cement. The seating and testing cycles were repeated. Primary and revision vectors were compared using a paired students t – test.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the magnitude of the resultant vector of the 3 translational components of the micro motion between the two methods of implantation (p=0.19).

Conclusions: Initial stability of a cementless femoral implant is a requirement for bone ingrowth. The use of compacted morsellized allograft in a revision Total Hip Arthroplasty with a proximal circumferential defect can provide a stable bed for the implantation of an uncemented femoral component. The revised implant using the compacted allograft method was initially as stable as the primary implantation.

This technique would be particularly applicable when the surgeon would like to avoid the use of cement in a revision setting. The use of this method for uncemented revision Total Hip Arthroplasty should be studied further in a clinical setting before it is advocated for widespread use.