Minimum 10-year radiographic follow-up of a cementless acetabular component for primary total hip arthroplasty with a bulk autograft

We radiographically investigated 36 hips in 34 patients with osteoarthritis of the hip who had undergone total hip arthroplasty. Their mean age was 59.2 years (range 36–79 years), and the mean follow-up period was 11.2 years (range 10–14 years). The long-term outcome and the chronological changes in the bulk autograft were examined. The acetabular component of the prosthesis was a Lord-type threaded cup with a smooth surface. At follow-up, bone absorption was minor in 17 joints, moderate in 11, and major in 8. The hips with graft coverage of 20% (group A) had a significantly higher loosening rate than hips with coverage of 20% (group B) (P 0.05). The cup position changed markedly in group A. Our findings indicate that graft coverage should be less than 20% when a bulk graft is used together with a smooth-surfaced cementless cup.