Femoral reconstruction by massive allografts in revision of hip prostheses with major bone defects

Summary Major bone defects are commonly encountered in revision of total hip arthroplasties. We reconstruct both the acetabular and femoral component with bone allografts to allow successful implantation of a new prosthesis. Frozen femoral heads are used for all kinds of acetabular defects and for small femoral defects, and irradiated massive cortical allografts have been used since 1985 for major deficiencies of the femur. The femoral reconstruction technique differed according to the type of surgery: —After removal of a failed massive femoral prosthesis, a long-stem Charnley prosthesis was cemented in the proximal allograft and the distal host femoral shaft. —When revision of standard arthroplasties was performed, different surgical procedures were used according to the type of bone deficiency encountered, the goal being to preserve as much host bone as possible. We used either segmental allografts covered with the remaining host femoral cortex preserved with its soft tissue attachments, or segmental allografts impacted into an enlarged residual shaft. In other cases, a semi-circular allograft strut was used for replacing or reinforcing a deficient cortex. A cemented longstem Charnley prosthesis was generally used, but whenever possible a standard stem was implanted.From 1985 to the end of 1992, 102 upper femoral reconstructions for major revision arhtroplasties were performed in our department. Onlay struts had excellent results, always united, and complications were rare. Segmental allografts had a higher complication rate. The frequency of trochanteric complications (20%) implies firm initial fixation, apparently better ensured by plates, though screwing through the graft risks damaging it, as occurred once. Graft or prostheses failures were rare, and occurred mainly with large segmental allografts used in custommade massive prosthesis replacement, the conditions then being comparable with malignant tumor reconstruction surgery. When complications occurred, the benefit of initial bone stock repair was preserved in most cases, allowing easy further revision.Massive irradiated allografts appear to be an effective method in major femoral reconstructions. These results rely on safe bone banking procedures, which require predefined and strictly controlled methods. Good results also depend on suitable surgical techniques, particularly efficient graft stability, secure muscle reattachment, and reliable prostheses. The aim of the different surgical technics we used in revision arthroplasties was to obtain good anatomic situation, alignment and length, while preserving as much as possible of the residual host bone.