Tissue reactions to titanium endoprostheses. Autopsy studies in four cases

Four cementless prosthetic hip implants of Ti-6Al-4V-alloy with and without longitudinal grooves and Al2O2 ceramic ball heads, with implant periods of 3, 4, 5, and 10 months, were sectioned and examined histologically in undecalcified thin ground sections. Especially on the medial and lateral sides of the prostheses, there was direct bone-to-metal contact without interposed connective tissue, spreading to the dorsal and ventral areas of the prosthesis shaft, which was considered osseointegration. This is based mainly on the technique of implantation with primary stability in the cortical bone by press-fit and on the bioinertness of the titanium alloy. Ungrooved prosthesis areas seem to favor bone growth at the shaft. The secondary bone ring, occurring on the dorsal and ventral areas of the prosthesis, with evidence of further bone remodeling with the passage of time, indicates that osseointegration is a dynamic process that continues to improve prosthetic stability.