ABSTRACT

During the first half of the 20th century, orthopaedic surgeons attempted to replace destroyed or worn-out sections of diseased articulating joints with prosthetic implants made of metal or plastic and thus to improve the functional mobility. Examples include the hip endoprostheses of Wiles, McKee, Moore, or Thompson and the femoral head cups of Smith-Petersen or Judet. Often however, these implants still caused pain because they could not be anchored firmly enough in the bone.