Use of porous tantalum for acetabular reconstruction in revision hip arthroplasty.

Overview

➤ Over the past decade, porous tantalum has emerged as a powerful tool for reconstruction of the failed acetabular component.➤ The increased porosity, high coefficient of friction, and favorable elastic modulus of porous tantalum compared with traditional titanium mesh or cobalt chromium acetabular components allow for greater bone ingrowth potential, implant stability, and host bone preservation, respectively, in porous tantalum shells.➤ Several studies have confirmed the excellent early and midterm results of porous tantalum reconstruction for revision hip arthroplasty.➤ Depending on the degree of bone loss, excellent results have been achieved with modular or revision porous tantalum shells, tantalum shells with tantalum augments, and cup-cage constructs.➤ These implants and techniques are greatly changing the approach to acetabular revision surgery and are providing constructs with greater stability and more physiologic biomechanical properties than those achieved through the use of traditional reconstructive methods.