Extensive acetabular defects produced surgically in 25 dogs were repaired using A-W glass-ceramic blocks. No dislocation of the femoral head, and no displacement or breakdown of the blocks was seen 1 year after surgery. All dogs were able to run normally shortly after surgery, except for one that limped for a short time. The failure load between the blocks and the bone had increased markedly 2 months after implantation. The failure load/unit area was 33.2 kgw/cm 2 1 year after implantation. We conclude that glass-ceramic supplementation of the acetabulum is successful experimentally, and that this may be a promising method for repair of large acetabular bone defects.