Abstract
The authors report 2 cases of cementless hip prosthesis in which component loosening was cased by failure of porous coating. The first cases was a Harris Galante type stem of 17 years after surgery. Since 1 year after surgery separation of fiber mesh coating from the stem was detected on radiographs. At revision surgery, no bone ingrowth was observed on the stem. The second case was PSL socket with a beaded titanium coating. At revision surgery, a number of beads were found to have fallen from the socket surface. Some of the beads had migrated into the joint surface, and induced metallosis. The loosening of the prosthesis is attributed to failure of the porous coating. This report calls attention to the need for close follow-up observation of patients with these prostheses.
