A proximally hollow prosthesis is provided having a cap element and a stem; the prosthesis, in one embodiment, has a cap element suitable to be adapted to a ball and hip socket and has a stem suitable to be implanted in a reamed femoral medullary canal. The stem of the prosthesis has a proximal region and a distal region and is mateable with the cap element of the prosthesis. The proximal region of the stem is open to define a cavity which extends longitudinally a predetermined distance through the proximal region of the stem but not into an isthmus region of the stem, which is located distal to the proximal region of the stem. The distal region of the stem is located distal to the isthmus region of the stem and is made of solid metal or alloys thereof. In another embodiment of the invention, the distal region of the stem is furcated, being at least bifurcated so as to define a plurality of tangs.