We retrospectively reviewed the radiographs of twenty patients in whom a
window in the femoral cortex had been created to facilitate revision of a
failed total hip replacement with a non-cemented prosthesis, to determine
if the window had healed and, if so, how long it had taken. All but three
windows showed clear evidence of healing three months postoperatively. At
six months, only two windows remained radiographically visible, and at
eight months, all of the windows had healed. We concluded that when the
section of cortical bone that is removed to create the window is replaced
with an uncemented femoral component, the window heals by bone within three
to eight months.