Reconstruction of the acetabular defects with reinforcement plate or titanium net in the revision of the total hip joint arthroplsty

Objectives:To reconstruct the defects of acetabulum in the revision of total hip joint arthroplasty (THA) in an effort to restore the anatomy of acetabulum and improve the stability of acetabular prosthesis. Methods:From January 1977 to January 2002, 38 revisions of THA were performed, of which 12 cases had bone defects in the acetabulum and were reconstructed by using allograft or selfgraft reinforced with plate or titanium net for restoring the bone structure. Results:The average age of the 12 patients was 64 years and the follow up care lasted for an average of 13.1 months (ranging from 3 to 38 months). By X ray examination, favorable healing of allografted or selfgrafted acetabulum without any bone resorption was found in all but one patient. Conclusions:It is a useful and reliable method to restore the structure of acetabulum with allograft or selfgraft, reinforcement plate or titanium net during the THA revision.