Eleven whole anatomic specimens of the femur were retrieved at autopsy from patients who previously had cemented total hip arthroplasty. Implant duration ranged from 0.5 to 210 months. Clinically and roentgenographically the implants were stable. A detailed biomechanical analysis evaluated bone strains and implant stability in both the single-limb stance and stair-climbing positions using a 100-pound spinal load. The stability offered by cement in these well-fixed prostheses was remarkable, with the maximum axial micromotion being 40 mu. This is a reflection of intimate osseointegration at the bone-cement interface with only rare intervening fibrous tissue. The strain gauge and photoelastic strain-coating studies revealed that marked stress shielding in the proximal medial femoral cortex persists long after a cemented femoral component is inserted. Even 17 years after surgery, the strain in the calcar region did not normalize.