The standard graft material for impaction bone-grafting is fresh-frozen
femoral head allograft morselized to a particle size as large as is practical
to ensure stability and allow new bone formation.
The graft must be sufficiently compacted to provide immediate mechanical
stability; this requires containment of the graft and substantial impaction
energy.
Diaphyseal bone fracture and excessive implant migration are the most
common complications of the operation.
Impaction bone-grafting in revision total hip replacement has produced good
medium-term results on both the acetabular and the femoral side.
The use of compacted morselized bone graft is a relatively new technique in
revision knee surgery and requires longer-term follow-up with larger numbers
of patients to assess its value.