Objective To explore the surgical technique and effectiveness of autologous femoral head bone graft in total hip arthroplasty (THA) for Crowe type Ⅲ developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) with acetabular bone defect. Methods Between July 2012 and September 2015, 12 cases (12 hips) of Crowe type Ⅲ DDH with acetabular bone defect were included. Of the 12 patients, 2 were male and 10 were female, with an average age of 54.3 years (range, 37-75 years). The Harris score before operation was 41.08±7.90. The preoperative leg length discrepancy was 0.53-4.28 cm, with an average of 2.47 cm. Autologous femoral head bone graft and cancellous screw fixation were used in all cases to reconstruct acetabula in THA. Four cases were performed with subtrochanteric shortening osteotomy at the same time. Results All incisions healed by first intention. Twelve cases were followed up 1 year and 10 months to 5 years, with an average of 3.0 years. X-ray films showed that bone healing was observed in all cases at 6 months to 1 year after operation. There was no bone graft osteolysis, absorption, bone graft collapse, and acetabular prosthesis loosening. At last follow-up, the Harris score was 89.50±2.78, showing significant difference when compared with preoperative value (t=–25.743, P=0.003). The length discrepancy was 0-1.81 cm at last follow-up with an average of 0.76 cm. Conclusion Autologous femoral head bone graft is effective for Crowe type Ⅲ DDH with acetabular bone defect, which has advantages of restoring pelvic bone stock, obtaining satisfied prosthetic stability and mid-term effectiveness.