ABSTRACT
I. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY A. Historical Background and Pathophysiology Osteolysis is the bone loss that results from biological processes occurring at the metal-bone or cement-bone interface. Clinical manifestations of osteolysis range from the appearance of new radiolucent lines around previously well-fixed implants, which progress slowly and eventually result in mechanical instability, to the rapid formation of either focal or expansile lesions. The term aseptic loosening was previously used to define the linear dissecting processes and osteolysis to define the lytic bone loss. These terms are now considered to describe different manifestations of the same biological phenomenon, resulting in both aseptic loosening and osteolysis (1).
