Allografting in uncemented acetabular revision

From 1987 to 1991, a total of 43 acetabular revisions were performed in 39 patients aged 36 to 79 years. In group A (26 revisions in 24 patients), morselized allograft was used to fill in cavitary acetabular defects, and in group B (17 revisions in 15 patients), a solid (bulk) allograft was used to reconstruct defects of the acetabular rim, mainly superiorly. An uncemented acetabular cup was used in all cases. Follow-up ranged from 4 to 7 years. Results demonstrated that while large structural or morselized allografts are useful in reconstructing the anatomy, there is a high rate of loosening due to resorption. The failure rate of bulk graft was higher than that of morselized graft, but because the bone stock in failures is usually restored, a second revision is easier.