Implantation of the femoral stem into a bed of titanium granules using vibration: a pilot study of a new method for prosthetic fixation in 5 patients followed for up to 15 years.

This study describes a new method for the fixation of titanium hip stem prostheses based on interdigitation of irregularly shaped porous titanium granules onto bone tissue. The granules were distributed into the prepared femoral cavity using a vibrating tool, and the stem was vibrated and tapped into the bed of granules. In this pilot study, 5 patients were followed between 9 and 15 years. The clinical results were excellent and the prostheses remained stable. Autopsy (one specimen) and computer tomography (three patients) show that the granules become incorporated by bone ingrowth.