Ultrasonically driven instruments in the transfemoral approach--an aid to preservation of bone stock and reduction of implant length.

The transfemoral approach to the femur with implantation of the Wagner SL stem provides a means of dealing with the difficult revision problems of extensive endosteolysis and with peri-prosthetic fractures. This surgical approach has been modified such that with the aid of an ultrasonically driven cement removal instrument (OSCAR) the length of the osteotomy is reduced, preserving bone stock, and it is possible to implant a shorter prosthesis in approximately 60% of cases.