We have reviewed retrospectively 68 revisions of the femoral component in arthroplasties of the hip in 65 patients, using impaction bone grafting, at a median of three years (1 month to 6 years). We employed the cemented Exeter X-Change technique in 36 patients and the uncemented Bi-Metric allografting method in 32. The 37 bone defects were grade 3 or grade 4 on the Endo-Klinik classification.

The Mayo hip score improved from a mean of 32 (sd ± 18) to 62 (sd ± 15). Most (25) of the 34 complications occurred in grade-3 and grade-4 defects; nine were intraoperative diaphyseal fractures and eight fractures of the greater trochanter. All the fractures united.

The risk of intraoperative fracture was prevented by supporting the bone with wires in 16 hips, with reinforcement mesh in 18 and by a plate in six. Early migration of the stem of more than 10 mm during the first year indicated rotational instability; it occurred in three cases.

In difficult revision cases with large defects of the femoral bone, bone-impaction techniques carry a high risk of complications.

We describe six patients with aggressive granulomatous lesions around cementless total hip prostheses. Two patients previously had a cemented prosthesis in the same hip. The Lord prosthesis was used in five patients, the PCA in one. Both prostheses were made of chrome-cobalt alloy. Pain on weight-bearing occurred on average 3.2 years after the cementless arthroplasty, and at that time radiography revealed aggressive granulomatosis around the proximal femoral stem and the acetabular component in five of the patients; one had a large solitary granuloma in the proximal femur. Revision was performed on average 4.8 years after the cementless arthroplasty. At that time all granulomas had grown large in size; while waiting for revision operation, two femoral stem components fractured. All the granulomas showed a uniform histopathology, which included histiocytosis; the cause for these lesions was thought to be plastic debris from the acetabular socket.

We report the short-term results of 100 cementless total hip replacements in 52 severely dysplastic and 48 totally dislocated hips, with some new technical solutions to the problems involved. In cases with a very narrow iliac bone, the acetabular screw ring is seated below the true cotyloid area. In hips with tight flexor and abductor muscles or with deformities of the proximal femur, various osteotomies were performed. Special attention was paid to careful pre-operative planning and precise operative technique. In spite of a high complication rate the results were generally good and even patients who required reoperation were satisfied with the final result.