Comparative Assessment of Surgical Treatment Results of Patients with Early-Stage Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head

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Background. The observed sharp increase in patients with avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) associated with a new COVID-19 infection determines the need to find some new effective strategies for surgical treatment to achieve long-term positive results.
 Aim of the study is to make a comparative assessment of surgical treatment results of patients with early-stage avascular necrosis of the femoral head using different techniques of core decompression and autogenous bone grafting of the femoral head.
 Methods. We performed a comparative analysis of the treatment results of patients with early stages of ANFH. The patients were divided by the treatment method into two groups: control and main. Surgical treatment in the control group (n = 19) consisted of an open decompression and autogenous bone grafting of the femoral head using the Rosenwasser’s “light bulb” technique. The main group (n = 17) included the patients who had undergone the developed combined impaction autografting of the femoral head. Clinical and functional assessment of the treatment results was performed using the Harris Hip Score (HHS) questionnaire and the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score. Assessment was performed preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.
 Results. The performed comparative analysis showed statistically significant difference in clinical and functional results after operative treatment in patients of the control and the main groups at all follow-ups. Change of the HHS values presented as Me (Q1;Q3) in patients of both groups at 3, 6 and 12 months was 77.0 (68.0;84.0) and 82.0 (75.0;91.0), p = 0.001; 79.0 (69.0;85.0) and 88.0 (79.0;95.0), p0.001; 81.0 (71.0;86.0) and 90.0 (85.0;92.0), p0.001, respectively. According to the WOMAC, the following dynamics was revealed for the same values: 30.0 (25.0;35.0) and 25.0 (21.0;32.0), p = 0.002; 27.0 (22.0;33.0) and 20.0 (17.0;27.0), p0.001; 24.0 (17.0;30.0) and 15.0 (13.0;24.0), p0.001.
 Conclusion. Comparative assessment of efficacy of the open core decompression with autogenous bone grafting of the femoral head defect using the light bulb technique and closed intralesional resection of necrosis focus with combined impaction grafting of the femoral head showed that the minimal damage to para- and intraarticular tissues when performing the approach to the area of the pathological focus and the main stages of the operation allows to achieve the best clinical and functional results and create optimal conditions for bone remodeling in the grafting area.