Reconstruction Versus Prosthesis: Observations in a Series of Fifty Cases

INDICATIONS FOR RECONSTRUCTION A series of 50 cases demonstrated that reconstruction is beneficial in the following conditions: (1) in nonunion of the neck of the femur; (2) when there is excessive absorption of the proximal and distal portions of the neck, so that only the head and the base of the neck and the intertrochanteric area remain; (3) in aseptic necrosis of the head as a consequence of dislocation of the hip, of fracture of the acetabulum, or of other injuries that interfere with the circulation of the head and neck; (4) in advanced osteoarthritic changes in the head of the femur; (5) when there are malformations of the head as a result of a shallow acetabulum or a long-standing pathologic condition of the hips, such as Perthes' disease or a slipped femoral epiphysis, and (6) in subcapital fractures in the aged. Subcapital fractures are so serious that some elaboration