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There is considerable variation in the rates of progression of the size of osteolytic lesions around stable acetabular components. Lesion size and the progression of lesion size are generally related to polyethylene wear rates, higher patient activity levels, and larger-diameter femoral heads. Osteolytic lesions measuring >10 cm(3) in volume are associated with a high rate of progression.

The aim of this pilot study was to examine bone graft incorporation in femurs impacted with allograft bone alone (control group) or with allograft containing the bone morphogenetic protein OP-I (BMP-7) (OP-1 group) in a sheep model of cemented hemiarthroplasty. Two sheep in each group were sacrificed at 6, 18 and 26 weeks. Successful bone graft incorporation was evident in both groups by six weeks but in the OP-I group, there had been more extensive resorption of the graft. There was one case of excessive stem subsidence in the OP-1 group at six weeks. By 18 weeks, there was remodelling and trdbeculation of the new bone in the OP-1 group, but this appeared less advanced in the control group. By 26 weeks, there was remodelling of bone in the graft bed. The results of this small study suggest that OP-1 promotes initial graft resorption, thus hastening bone graft incorporation and remodelling in femoral impaction grafting. The one case of stem subsidence may be associated with the early resorption seen in the OP-1 group and reinforces the need for further studies, examining dose response and using precise measures of stem movement, before this BMP is used in femoral impaction grafting at revision hip arthroplasty.

No abstract