Which graft is best for femoral bone loss in a hip revision?
For hip revision patients in Allegheny Health Network, clear talk on choosing the right bone graft.
You're preparing for a hip revision in the Allegheny Health Network area. Your surgeon found a femoral bone defect, a hole left after the old implant comes out. It's contained, so the walls hold the graft, but a runny paste won't stay. You need a material that packs firmly and supports new bone.
When a failed hip implant is taken out, it often leaves behind a cavity in the femur, the large bone of your thigh. This gap is called a femoral bone defect. Surgeons describe these as contained when the outer walls of the bone are still solid. That containment lets a graft stay put without extra hardware. The ideal graft does two things: it fills the space immediately and acts as a framework for your own bone cells to move in and rebuild over time.
The usual way to fill a bone defect is with a piece of the patient's own bone, taken from the pelvis in a second surgical site. That means more pain, a longer hospital stay, and a limited supply. Synthetic bone graft substitutes like ACTIFUSE eliminate that second wound. The material is off-the-shelf and packed into the defect during the same revision surgery. Insurance plans in the Allegheny Health Network region generally cover the cost when the surgeon documents the medical need. The total expense depends most on the volume of graft needed, which is driven by the size and shape of the femoral cavity.
Before your revision surgery, talk to your orthopedic surgeon about which graft they plan to use. Ask if a silicate-substituted calcium phosphate scaffold, such as ACTIFUSE, is right for your contained defect. These grafts have a 80% porous structure that wicks in bone-forming cells. Elite Surgical supplies these products to hospitals within Allegheny Health Network and can arrange for your surgeon to see the product and review published clinical studies. Call their team to start that conversation and make sure the right graft is on the shelf before your case.
Once the graft is placed and your new hip components are fixed, the material gets to work. Over the months after surgery, your body gradually replaces the scaffold with living bone. On x-rays, your surgeon will see the defect fill in and the bone look denser. You will feel stable when you put weight on your leg, without the dull ache that came from the loose implant. With a well-chosen graft, the revision gives you years of comfortable walking.
Other things people in Allegheny Health Network ask
bone graft for tibial bone loss revision knee
Pack the contained defect with a porous synthetic bone graft scaffold. It should hold shape and remodel as the revision heals. Do not leave the defect empty or filled with cement alone.
bone graft for tibial defect during knee revision
Pack the contained defect with a moldable bone graft substitute that has high porosity and remodels into host bone. Avoid autograft if the patient already has a second surgical site. The graft should support the new implant while healing.
bone graft substitute for large acetabular defect revision hip
Pick a graft that packs the defect well and has high porosity for bone ingrowth. ACTIFUSE's 80% porous scaffold fills contained defects and remodels into the patient's own bone as the revision heals. For very large defects, consider a moldable version like ACTIFUSE SHAPE to adapt to irregular contours. Avoid grafts that resorb too fast and leave the cup unsupported.
how to choose bone graft substitute for femoral defect revision hip
Choose a moldable synthetic bone graft substitute for irregular femoral defects. It should pack into the canal without extra instruments. Look for a graft that remodels into host bone so the area is not left with permanent filler.
bone graft substitute cost revision hip
Ask for per-cc or pack pricing, not a flat case price. Cost depends on the size of the acetabular or femoral defect. Compare synthetic graft cost to autograft, which includes OR time and a second incision.
Ready to talk?
Elite Surgical handles hip & knee revision in Allegheny Health Network and the area around it.