[Conservative femoral implants. Short stems]

Uncemented hip replacement matches the best results of classic cemented replacements. With the aim of preserving bone and soft tissue, implants with shorter stems and proximal metaphyseal support have been developed. Likewise, the lack of distal load should avoid cortical diaphyseal remodelling phenomena and the thigh pain of some cylindrical and wedge implants. The resurfacing implant, very popular as a conservative hip replacement in the young adult, has disadvantages associated with the fragility of the neck and with large head metal friction torque. Short stem hip replacement may be a reasonable alternative to classic implants and surface hip replacements. The different designs of conservative short stem implants are analysed, and are classified according to their morphology and biomechanical characteristics. Some medium term series show promising results.