Acetabular shell with supplemental support and method

A method for providing increased support against posterior and superior forces exerted upon an acetabular bearing insert implanted at an acetabulum in a deficient pelvis for the reception of a femoral head of a femoral component of a prosthetic hip implant, the method comprising:

• placing an acetabular shell at the acetabulum of the pelvis, the acetabular shell including a domed portion having a convex outer surface for engaging the natural acetabulum, a concave inner surface for reception of the bearing insert, the inner surface extending along a spherical contour up to a generally hemispherical extent, and a rim between the outer and inner surfaces, the rim being placed adjacent an equatorial location along the domed portion and including a superior segment, an inferior segment longitudinally opposite the superior segment, a posterior segment and an anterior segment laterally opposite the posterior segment;
• securing the domed portion in the pelvis by anchoring an anchoring plate in the pelvis, the anchoring plate being integral with the domed portion adjacent the superior segment of the rim;
• and
• locating a supplemental support web of the domed portion for supplemental support of the bearing insert in the posterior and superior directions, the supplemental support web extending along the rim from the posterior segment to the plate at the superior segment and projecting beyond the equatorial location for providing the supplemental support for a bearing insert in posterior and superior directions.