Early Osteonecrosis Research Articles

Core Decompression and Biological Treatment in Osteonecrosis of the Hip due to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, 8-year Follow-up: A Case Report

BACKGROUND: Osteonecrosis most commonly affects the femoral head, especially in middle-aged adults. It can be caused by trauma, chronic inflammation, or infection. It leads to collapse of the entire femoral head and culminates with total hip replacement. CASE REPORT: A 29-year-old female with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had a chief complaint of bilateral hip pain. She was diagnosed with early osteonecrosis of the femoral head (FICAT stage II) using magnetic resonance imaging and core decompression surgery was performed using three small diameter (4 mm) drillings and added biological treatment. She was evaluated with a visual analog scale (VAS), Harris hip score (HHS), and plain radiography in the pre-operative stage and post-operative follow-up. RESULTS: Functional outcome at 8-year follow-up showed improvement with significantly decreased VAS (pre-operative: 5, post-operative: 0), significant improvement of HHS from 52.725 points (poor) pre-operative to 92.025 points (excellent) post-operative, and subsided femoral head lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical decompression and biological treatment result in decreased intraosseous pressure and enhanced osteogenesis. It can restrict the SLE disease progression and limit the number of cell death.

Implantation of autologous Expanded Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Hip Osteonecrosis through Percutaneous Forage: Evaluation of the Operative Technique.

Bone forage to treat early osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) has evolved as the channel to percutaneously deliver cell therapy into the femoral head. However, its efficacy is variable and the drivers towards higher efficacy are currently unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the forage technique and correlate it with the efficacy to heal ONFH in a multicentric, multinational clinical trial to implant autologous mesenchymal stromal cells expanded from bone marrow (BM-hMSCs). Methods: In the context of EudraCT 2012-002010-39, patients with small and medium-sized (mean volume = 13.3%, range: 5.4 to 32.2) ONFH stage II (Ficat, ARCO, Steinberg) C1 and C2 (Japanese Investigation Committee (JIC)) were treated with percutaneous forage and implantation of 140 million BM-hMSCs in a standardized manner. Postoperative hip radiographs (AP—anteroposterior and lateral), and MRI sections (coronal and transverse) were retrospectively evaluated in 22 patients to assess the femoral head drilling orientation in both planes, and its relation to the necrotic area. Results: Treatment efficacy was similar in C1 and C2 (coronal plane) and in anterior to posterior (transverse plane) osteonecrotic lesions. The drill crossed the sclerotic rim in all cases. The forage was placed slightly valgus, at 139.3 ± 8.4 grades (range, 125.5–159.3) with higher dispersion (f = 2.6; p = 0.034) than the anatomical cervicodiaphyseal angle. Bonferroni’s correlation between both angles was 0.50 (p = 0.028). More failures were seen with a varus drill positioning, aiming at the central area of the femoral head, outside the weight-bearing area (WBA) (p = 0.049). In the transverse plane, the anterior positioning of the drill did not result in better outcomes (p = 0.477). Conclusion: The forage drilling to deliver cells should be positioned within the WBA in the coronal plane, avoiding varus positioning, and central to anterior in the transverse plane. The efficacy of delivered MSCs to regenerate bone in ONFH could be influenced by the drilling direction. Standardization of this surgical technique is desirable.

A New Medical Record Proposal to the Prognostic Risk Assessment for MRONJ in Oncologic Patients: "Sapienza Head and Neck Unit" Proposal.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is an adverse event associated with antiresorptive and antiangiogenic drugs. The use of these drugs in the treatment of cancer patients with bone metastasis is necessary and standardized in the literature. A multidisciplinary approach for the patient’s management is strongly recommended. Therefore, it should be necessary to integrate the path of these subjects with a dedicated dental screening in order to first assess the individual risk of developing a MRONJ, and then to plan dental treatments and oral hygiene sessions, and finally to schedule a follow-up to intercept and treat early osteonecrosis. The aim of this manuscript is to propose a new simple medical report to evaluate patients affected by metastatic bone cancer in order to reduce the risk of developing MRONJ.

An Automatic Classification of the Early Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head with Deep Learning

Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head (ONFH) is a common complication in orthopaedics, wherein femoral structures are usually damaged due to the impairment or interruption of femoral head blood supply. In this study, an automatic approach for the classification of the early ONFH with deep learning has been proposed. All femoral CT slices according to their spatial locations with the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) are first classified. Therefore, all CT slices are divided into upper, middle or lower segments of femur head. Then the femur head areas can be segmented with the Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (CGAN) for each part. The Convolutional Autoencoder is employed to reduce dimensions and extract features of femur head, and finally K-means clustering is used for an unsupervised classification of the early ONFH. To invalidate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, the experiments on the dataset with 120 patients are carried out. The experimental results show that the segmentation accuracy is higher than 95%. The Convolutional Autoencoder can reduce the dimension of data, the Peak Signal- to-Noise Ratios (PSNRs) are better than 34dB for inputs and outputs. Meanwhile, there is a great intra-category similarity, and a significant inter-category difference. The research on the classification of the early ONFH has a valuable clinical merit, and hopefully it can assist physicians to apply more individualized treatment for patient.

Hip Preservation With Autologous Osteoblast Cell-Based Treatment in Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a progressive disease that leads to femoral head collapse and secondary osteoarthritis if left untreated. Head preservation surgeries are notable for their inefficiency in providing a pain-free hip joint in cases with extensive involvement of the femoral head. This single-center study evaluated the effectiveness of autologous cultured osteoblast cells implanted after core decompression and debridement in 15 patients diagnosed with early osteonecrosis of the femoral head from 2010 to 2012. Overall mean follow-up was 51 months; the longest follow-up was 7 years in 3 patients. At 9 months after implant, all of the patients had resumed their normal routine activities. Reduction in pain and dependency on walking support was remarkable, and none of the patients required revision. The femoral joints were preserved structurally, and the joint biomechanics, strength, and function were regained. The use of autologous osteoblast cell implant is recommended for patients with early osteonecrosis. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(2):e183-e189.].

Team approach: Management of osteonecrosis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

With current treatments for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the overall prognosis for survival is favorable. Increasing emphasis is placed on recognizing and managing the long-term consequences of ALL and its treatment, particularly involving osteonecrosis. Early osteonecrosis diagnosis and management may improve outcomes and is best accomplished through coordinated teams that may include hematologic oncologists, radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and the patient and their family. Magnetic resonance imaging is the "gold standard" for diagnosis of early-stage and/or multifocal osteonecrosis. Treatments for osteonecrosis in ALL patients are risk stratified and may include observation, corticosteroid or chemotherapy adjustment, and pharmaceutical or surgical approaches.

Early transplantation of growth differentiation factor 11-silenced bone marrow stromal cells promotes osteogenesis in necrotic femoral head induced by steroid in rats

Objective To study the effect of growth differentiation factor (GDF) 11-silenced bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on bone regeneration in early steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in rats. Methods After GDF11 expression in BMSCs was inhibited by siRNA, the knockdown efficiency and transfection cytotoxicity were detected. The further experiments both in vitro (n=3) and in vivo (n=8) were divided into 4 groups respectively: blank control group (without any intervention), model group (glucocorticoid treatment), experimental group (siRNA transfection and glucocorticoid treatment) and negative control group (negative control transfection and glucocorticoid treatment). The BMSCs were induced into osteogenic differentiation. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and alizarin red staining were applied to evaluate the osteogenic differentiation ability of the cells while reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to detect the relative expression levels of osteogenic markers. The osteogenesis in the necrotic femoral head was evaluated by microCT, H&E staining, immunohistochemistry staining and biomechanical test. Results No transfection cytotoxicity was found (P>0.05). The ALP staining and alizarin red staining showed that the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in the experimental group was better than that in the model group. At the level of mRNA, the relative expression of ALP, runt-related transcription factor (Runx) 2, osteocalcin (OCN) and type Ⅰ collagen (α1) (COL1A1) in the blank control group (1.00±0.09, 1.02±0.23, 1.03±0.30 and 1.02±0.25, respectively) were significantly higher than those in the model group (0.46±0.11, 0.50±0.11, 0.35±0.01 and 0.57±0.02, respectively) but significantly lower than those in the experimental group (1.97±0.30, 0.94±0.19, 1.50±0.18 and 1.28±0.37) (all P<0.05). MicroCT images and quantitative analysis showed that the bone mass in the experimental group was significantly increased compared with the model group (P<0.05). Histological examination showed better bone regeneration and higher expression of Runx2 and COL1 in the necrotic femoral head in the experimental group than in the model group. Improved biomechanical properties were shown in the experimental group compared with the model group (P<0.05). Conclusions Silence of GDF11 expression may alleviate the inhibitory effect of glucocorticoid on osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Early transplantation of GDF11-silenced BMSCs may promote osteogenesis in the necrotic femoral head in rats. Key words: Femoral head necrosis; Bone marrow cells; Growth differentiation factor 11; Glucocorticoids; Osteogenic differentiation

Comparison of sartorius muscle-pedicle and circumflex iliac deep bone flap grafts in the treatment of early non-traumatic osteonecrosis of femoral head in young adults

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to retrospectively compare and evaluate the midterm curative effect of two different bone flap grafts in the treatment of early non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). MethodsA total of 180 patients (199 hips) with early non-traumatic ONFH received surgical treatment by sartorius muscle-pedicle bone flap graft (SMBF) (104 patients, 64 males and 40 females; mean age 34.67 ± 3.24 years) or circumflex iliac deep bone flap graft (CIDBF) (76 patients, 44 males and 32 females; mean age: 35.54 ± 3.37 years) from July 2004 to July 2009. The comparison between the groups was made with Harris score before and after surgery, length of incision, operative time, amount of bleeding, postoperative X-ray. Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) staging was performed. ResultsThe preoperative Harris hip score of two groups were 68.26 ± 1.26 and 69.35 ± 1.31, respectively. Patients' ARCO staging indicated 36 hips of stage IIa, 115 hips of stage IIb and 48 hips of stage IIc. The etiology of ONFH mainly including hormones (93 patients), alcohol (64 patients) and other (23 patients). The mean follow-up time of SMBF and CIDBF groups were (51.78 ± 2.35) and (52.73 ± 3.71) months, respectively. The time of removing sutures, operation time, amount of bleeding and length of incision in SMBF group were superior to those in the CIDBF group, and those differences between the SMBF and CIDBF groups were not significant (all p values > 0.28). The Harris score between the two groups was similar after operation and postoperative 12 month, and the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05), whereas the difference of the postoperative 24 and 48 months was statistically significant (p ˂ 0.05). X-ray analysis showed improvement of osteonecrosis in both two groups after surgery, and as time went on, the total hip amount decreased, the replacement amount increased. ConclusionBoth bone flap grafts appear to be effective methods for treatment of early osteonecrosis of femoral head (ARCOⅡ), and the SMBF is a relatively simple technique and easy for mastering, and it is a reliable method for clinical application. Level of evidenceLevel III, Therapeutic Study.

Autologous Iliac Bone Graft Mixed with Blood Stem Cells for Early Femoral Head Osteonecrosis

Autologous Iliac Bone Graft Mixed with Blood Stem Cells for Early Femoral Head Osteonecrosis

Accuracy of MRI diagnosis of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a meta-analysis and systematic review

ObjectiveTo evaluate the overall diagnostic value related to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with early osteonecrosis of the femoral head.MethodsBy searching multiple databases and sources, including PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase database, by the index words updated in December 2017, qualified studies were identified and relevant literature sources were also searched. The qualified studies included prospective cohort studies and cross-sectional studies. Heterogeneity of the included studies were reviewed to select proper effect model for pooled weighted sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) analyses were performed for meniscal tears.ResultsForty-three studies related to diagnostic accuracy of MRI to detect early osteonecrosis of the femoral head were involved in the meta-analysis. The global sensitivity and specificity of MRI in early osteonecrosis of the femoral head were 93.0% (95% CI 92.0–94.0%) and 91.0% (95% CI 89.0%–93.0%), respectively. The global positive likelihood ratio and global negative likelihood ratio of MRI in early osteonecrosis of the femoral head were 2.74 (95% CI 1.98–3.79) and 0.18 (95% CI 0.14–0.23), respectively. The global DOR was 27.27 (95% CI 17.02–43.67), and the area under the SROC was 93.38% (95% CI 90.87%–95.89%).ConclusionsThis review provides a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in early osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Moderate to strong evidence indicated that MRI appears to be significantly associated with higher diagnostic accuracy for early osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

The role of core decompression in the management of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head

Background: Osteonecrosis represents the death of cellular elements in the marrow which progresses in stages resulting in collapse of the femoral head and its treatment is stage specific. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Core decompression in the management of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Methods: 15 patients with Stage 1 and 2 osteonecrosis of the femoral head were studied between January 2010 to January 2013 and were followed up for a period of 3 years. Results: Mean age of the patients was 36.3 years ranging from 29 to 41 years. There was a male preponderance seen in our study. Chronic alcoholism was the most common etiological factor followed by idiopathic and steroid induced. The average pre-operative Harris hip score was 52 which significantly increased to 79.8 in the post-operative period. All patients reported excellent relief of pain in the immediate post-operative period due to resolution of bone marrow edema. Follow up MRI revealed resolution of necrosis in 10 hips with progression seen in 1 hip. Conclusion: Core decompression is a safe, inexpensive procedure which gives good functional results in terms of pain relief and improvement in the quality of life for the patient if done in the early stages of Osteonecrosis before the onset of mechanical collapse of the femoral head.

Early diagnosis and treatment of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the early diagnosis and treatment of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head.Patients and methodsFrom January 2010 to January 2014, a total of 350 patients, who required the use of large amounts of hormones, were enrolled into the study. These patients were followed up every three months after starting the hormone therapy. A total of 62 cases were screened, among which nine cases were asymptomatic. Furthermore, 38 patients were diagnosed as stage I and were given low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and vasodilator drugs. Moreover, 22 cases were diagnosed as stage IIa/b and underwent core decompression. In addition, two cases were diagnosed as stage IIc and underwent pedicled bone transplantation. During the follow-up period, ARCO staging was used for radiological evaluation, the HHS score was applied to evaluate for clinical efficacy, and SPSS 22.0 statistical software was used for the data analysis.ResultsA total of 60 patients were followed up for 24 months. Among these patients, 38 patients were diagnosed with ARCO stage I and underwent systematic therapy. No progress was found in 29 cases (76.3%). Furthermore, three cases progressed to stage IIb (7.8%), four cases progressed to stage IIc (10.5%), two cases progressed to stage III and IV, respectively (2.6%), and 16 cases (80%) did not progress after core decompression. In the 16 cases at stage IIa and four cases at stage IIb, and four cases (20%) progressed in stage III. The HHS score of stage I was 80.42 ± 3.25 before follow-up, while the HHS score was 86.46 ± 8.54 after follow-up, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the HHS score of patients with stage IIa/b was 70.38 ± 4.62 before follow-up, while the HHS score was 80.28 ± 6.72 after follow-up, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01).ConclusionMRI remains as the most effective method for the non-invasive diagnosis of osteonecrosis, at present. Enhanced MRI may be able to detect early osteonecrosis, but further research is needed. Drug treatment and core decompression can achieve satisfactory results at the early stage.

A new 3D printed titanium metal trabecular bone reconstruction system for early osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Presently, biomechanical support therapy for the femoral head has become an important approach in the treatment of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Previous studies have reported that the titanium metal trabecular bone reconstruction systems (TMTBRS) achieved satisfactory clinical results for the treatment of early femoral head necrosis. Electron beam melting technology (EBMT) is an important branch of 3D printing technology, which enables the construction of an interface that is required for support of bone in-growth. However, the effect of TMTBRS created using EBMT for clinical applications for early ONFH is still unknown. At present, there are no reports on this topic worldwide. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of a new 3D printed TMTBRS implant and to evaluate its clinical efficacy in early ONFH.Thirty patients who underwent surgery for ONFH were selected. The stages of ONFH were classified according to the Association Research Circulation Osseus (ARCO) classification. They were followed-up and radiological examination was performed at 6, 12, and 24 months post-surgery to assess TMTBRS stability and bone growth in the bone trabecular holder portion surface. To evaluate hip function, postoperative Harris and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores were used.The postoperative Harris score increased significantly and VAS score decreased significantly at the 12-month follow-up compared to the 24-month follow-up, wherein the Harris score declined slightly and the VAS score was slightly elevated with the aggravation of ONFH. With the passage of time, postoperative improvement rates were 100% for IIA, 70% for IIB, and 0% for IIC. Hip-preserving rates were 100% for IIA, 100% for IIB, and 50% for IIC.The effect of TMTBRS treatment for early ONFH in ARCO IIA and ARCO IIB is satisfactory. However, it is not recommended for a relatively large area of necrosis such as in ARCO IIC.

Clinical value of 3D printing guide plate in core decompression plus porous bioceramics rod placement for the treatment of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head

BackgroundThe conventional method of core decompression combined with porous bioceramics rod is usually performed under C-arm fluoroscopy for the treatment of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). This study was to evaluate the clinical value and efficacy of three-dimensional (3D) printing guide plate in the process of core decompression plus porous bioceramics rod for the treatment of early ONFH.MethodsForty patients were enrolled, including 20 patients undergoing the surgery with 3D printing guide plate in the experiment group and 20 controls with C-arm fluoroscopy. The following parameters such as surgery time, blood loss, fluoroscopy times, and the accuracy of core decompression for necrosis area, function outcome according to Harris Hip Score (HHS), and any possible complications were recorded and compared between the two groups. All the patients were followed up at 6, 12, and 18 months postoperatively.ResultsThe surgery time, fluoroscopy time, and intraoperative blood loss in the experiment group was significantly less (P < 0.05) than those in the control group. There was no statistical significance in the accuracy of core decompression and porous bioceramics rod placement between the two groups (P > 0.05). All patients were followed up for 18 months. There was a significant difference between the preoperative and final follow-up HSS scores in both groups (P < 0.05). In addition, there was also a significant difference between the groups in the last follow-up HSS scores (P < 0.05).ConclusionsCompared with the traditional method, 3D printing guide plate could shorten the surgery time and fluoroscopy times and decrease intraoperative blood loss. It seems to be an effective method in the combined core decompression with porous bioceramics rod placement for early ONFH.

A Tissue Engineering Approach for Treating Early Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

Early osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), without structural collapse or subsequent degeneration of the overlying articular cartilage, presents the clinician with an opportunity to save the hip joint and thus avoid joint replacement surgery. To accomplish this goal, core decompression, in which the osteonecrotic segment of the femoral head is drilled, was devised. This operation stimulates a localized response to injury, similar to fracture healing. However, this procedure may not fully address two important issues: the need for vascular and osteogenic progenitor cells in an area with a compromised blood supply, and the need for structural support to “shore up” the involved segment of the femoral head. The current manuscript puts forth the thesis that in order to salvage the femoral head ideally, novel tissue engineering approaches to ONFH are needed that address both the biological and mechanical deficiencies. This would entail providing viable progenitor cells, currently obtained from concentration of iliac crest aspirates, together with a structural scaffold to help withstand physiological loads and supply a template for cell attachment and growth. By using this combined approach, it is hoped the natural hip joint could be maintained in this younger, highly active patient population with ONFH. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a painful progressive disorder in which cells within the femoral head die. In early ONFH, the head is still round and the hip is not arthritic and still salvageable. This presents the clinician with opportunities to save the hip rather than replace it with artificial components. The most logical approach to accomplishing this goal is to provide biomechanical structural support to the femoral head while new cells repopulate the dead areas. This latter goal may involve injecting concentrated bone and vascular progenitor cells, harvested from the patient, into the femoral head for biological healing. Preclinical studies should test novel in vivo treatments that provide both mechanical support and delivery of progenitor cells for early-stage ONFH. Future clinical studies derived from these preclinical studies should validate the safety and efficacy of these treatment principles for femoral head retention using combined biomechanical and biological treatments.

Significance of Lateral Pillar in Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head: A Finite Element Analysis.

Background:The lateral pillar of the femoral head is an important site for disease development such as osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The femoral head consists of medial, central, and lateral pillars. This study aimed to determine the biomechanical effects of early osteonecrosis in pillars of the femoral head via a finite element (FE) analysis.Methods:A three-dimensional FE model of the intact hip joint was constructed from the image data of a healthy control. Further, a set of six early osteonecrosis models was developed based on the three-pillar classification. The von Mises stress and surface displacements were calculated for all models.Results:The peak values of von Mises stress in the cortical and cancellous bones of normal model were 6.41 MPa and 0.49 MPa, respectively. In models with necrotic lesions in the cortical and cancellous bones, the von Mises stress and displacement of lateral pillar showed significant variability: the stress of cortical bone decreased from 6.41 MPa to 1.51 MPa (76.0% reduction), while cancellous bone showed an increase from 0.49 MPa to 1.28 MPa (159.0% increase); surface displacements of cortical and cancellous bones increased from 52.4 μm and 52.1 μm to 67.9 μm (29.5%) and 61.9 μm (18.8%), respectively. In addition, osteonecrosis affected not only pillars but also adjacent structures in terms of the von Mises stress and surface displacement levels.Conclusions:This study suggested that the early-stage necrosis in the femoral head could increase the risk of collapse, especially in lateral pillar. On the other hand, the cortical part of lateral pillar was found to be the main biomechanical support of femoral head.

Effectiveness of multiple small-diameter drilling decompression combined with hip arthroscopy for early osteonecrosis of the femoral head

To evaluate the effectiveness of multiple small-diameter drilling decompression combined with hip arthroscopy for early oeteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Between March 2010 and December 2013, 91 patients with early ONFH were treated with the operation of multiple small-diameter drilling decompression combined with hip arthroscopy in 39 cases (53 hips, group A) or with drilling decompression alone in 52 cases (74 hips, group B). The patients in 2 groups had obvious hip pain and limited motion before operation. There was no significant difference in gender, age, etiology, effected side, stage of osteonecrosis, and preoperative Harris score between 2 groups ( P>0.05). All operations succeeded and all incisions healed by first intention. The operation time was significantly longer in group A [(73.3±10.6) minutes] than in group B [(41.5±7.2) minutes] ( t=8.726, P=0.000). Temporary of sciatic nerve apraxia after operation occurred in 2 patients of group A, and no complication occurred in other patients. Patients were followed up 24-52 months (mean, 39.3 months) in group A and 24-48 months (mean, 34.6 months) in group B. At last follow-up, the Harris scores were 83.34±8.76 in group A and 76.61±9.22 in group B, showing significant differences when compared between 2 groups ( t=-4.247, P=0.029) and when compared with preoperative values in 2 groups ( t=-10.327, P=0.001; t=-8.216, P=0.008). X-ray films showed that the collapse of the femoral head was observed in 6 hips (1 hip at stage Ⅰand 5 hips at stage Ⅱ) in group A, and in 16 hips (4 hips at stageⅠand 12 hips at stage Ⅱ) in group B; and hip arthroplasty was performed. The total effective rates were 88.68% (47/53) in group A and 78.38% (58/74) in group B, respectively; showing significant difference between 2 groups ( χ2=5.241, P=0.041). Multiple small-diameter drilling decompression combined with hip arthroscopy is effective in pain relief, improvement of hip function, slowing-down the process of femoral head necrosis, delaying the need for total hip arthroplasty in patients with early ONFH.

The Pathophysiological Sequence of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head in Male Mice.

In search of the sequence of pathogenic events leading to glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis, we determined the molecular, biomechanical, cellular, and vascular changes in the femur of C57BL/6 mice receiving prednisolone for 14, 28, or 42 days. The femoral head, but not the distal femur, of mice treated for 14 days showed a decrease in the expression of the hypoxia-inducible factor (Hif)-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the number of osteoblasts, and bone formation rate and strength and showed an increase in osteoclasts. These changes were accompanied by conversion of the normal dendritic vasculature to pools of edema as detected by magnetic resonance imaging, providing robust diagnostic evidence of early osteonecrosis. At that time point, there were no detectable changes in bone density, cortical or cancellous bone architecture, midshaft or distal cancellous bone, or osteocyte apoptosis. In mice treated for 28 days, femoral head cancellous density, cortical width, and trabecular thickness decreased, and by 42 days the femoral heads had full-depth cortical penetrations and cancellous tissue osteonecrosis. These results indicate that the femoral head is a particularly sensitive anatomical site to the adverse effects of glucocorticoid excess on bone and that decreases of Hif-1α and VEGF expression, bone vascularity, and strength precede the loss of bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration, thus rendering the femoral head vulnerable to collapse.

Arthroscopy Assisted Lesion Clearance and Bone Graft, Titanium Rod Support Treatment of Early Stage Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head of the Postoperative Survival Rate Analysis

Objective: To assess the curative effect of the stage II femoral head necrosis treated by arthroscopy assisted lesion clearance, bone graft and titanium rod support. Methods: All the patients (including 58 patients 74 hips) were diagnosed as stage II femoral head necrosis according to the ARCO staging system during 2003-2013. In these patients, 15 hips were stage IIA, 34 hips were stage IIB and 25 hips were stage IIC. Located by C-arm and assisted by arthroscopy, minimally-invasive percutaneous pulp core decompression and lesion clearance within the femoral head were accurately performed, and then, the OAM composite of autologous bone marrow was implanted and the femoral head was supported using the titanium rod. Follow-up including the pain score, the Harris hip score and X-ray observation for disease progression were achieved at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months postoperatively, Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used for the survival analysis. Result: The VAS score and the Harris score after operation were better THRAn THRAt of before the surgery, the difference had statistical significance (p < 0.05). As for the X-ray staging, 5 cases (5 hips) progressed from stage IIB to stage IIC, the femoral head of 6 cases (6 hips) staged IIC collapsed at 24 months after the operation and then underwent THRA after 30 months. In this study, the total improvement rate after the surgery was 79.72% (93.33% for IIA, 82.35% for IIB and 68% for IIC). The total survival rate of these patients was 64.2% (95% CI, 64.2% - 90.1%). Conclusion: Arthroscopy assisted lesion clearance, bone graft and titanium rod support to treat the stage II osteonecrosis of the femoral head are effective and can prevent the femoral head from collapsing. But for stage IIC patients who had a history of the use of hormone, this surgery should be chosen carefully because the outcome is always very poor.

体外冲击波治疗早期股骨头坏死的临床疗效观察

目的：观察体外冲击波治疗早期股骨头坏死的临床疗效。方法：对2013年3月至2015年3月入住临沂市人民医院股骨头专科符合纳入和排除标准的40例(48髋)早期股骨头坏死患者给予体外冲击波治疗，每周2次，连续治疗8次为一个疗程，共3个疗程，观察并记录治疗前、治疗后第3、6、12、18、24个月时髋关节疼痛视觉模拟(VAS)评分、髋关节Harris评分。结果：体外冲击波治疗后，每次随访时髋关节VAS评分、髋关节Harris评分与治疗前相比有明显的改善(p < 0.05)。结论：体外冲击波是一种治疗早期股骨头坏死的有效方法，能够显著减轻髋关节疼痛、改善髋关节功能。 Objective: To observe the clinical curative effect of extracorporeal shock wave in the treatment of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Methods: Totally 40 cases (48 hips) early osteonecrosis of the femoral head with extracorporeal shock wave treatment, who satisfied inclusion and exclusion criteria during March 2013 to March 2013 in Linyi City People’s Hospital of the femoral head specialist, twice a week, eight consecutive treatment for a period of treatment, a total of three courses. The visual analogue scale and the Harris score were observed and recorded before the treatment and 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after treatment. Results: After treatment with extracorporeal shock wave, the VAS score of the hip joint and the Harris score of the hip joint were significantly improved compared with the previous treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Extracorporeal shock wave is an effective treatment for early osteonecrosis of the femoral head, which can significantly reduce the pain of the hip joint and improve the function of the hip joint.