a novel coated prosthesis that can be tailored to avoid the problem of bone resorption caused by stress shielding . the permanent , load - bearing skeletal replacement prosthesis is coated or covered with a bioabsorbable polymer at selected sites on its surface so that bone affixation is preferentially delayed at these covered sites and bone adjacent to uncoated areas are not stress shielded . thus , resorption is avoided . when the bioabsorbable polymer is gradually absorbed away , bone affixation takes place on the exposed surfaces , as needed .