Evaluation of homoplastic bone graft in hip replacement revision surgery

A total of 17 patients submitted to hip replacement revision surgery in our clinic between 1986 and 1994 were evaluated in order to analyze the effectiveness of homoplastic support grafting. Loss of substance involved the acetabulum and the femur. Four parameters were evaluated radiographically: fusion time, restructuring time, flattening or collapse of grafts, and, finally, graft resorption. The results showed that the homoplastic graft is characterized by excellent biological behavior, and that the success of the new implant depends mostly on surgical method used as the graft was always integrated quickly and completely. In cases with considerable loss of substance it is important to use means of support that allow for partial unloading of the forces between prosthesis and host bone, thus avoiding excessive loading in the grafts.