OBJECTIVE: To summarize the research progress on the role of macrophage-mediated osteoimmune in osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) and its mechanisms. METHODS: Recent studies on the role and mechanism of macrophage-mediated osteoimmune in ONFH at home and abroad were extensively reviewed. The classification and function of macrophages were summarized, the osteoimmune regulation of macrophages on chronic inflammation in ONFH was summarized, and the pathophysiological mechanism of osteonecrosis was expounded from the perspective of osteoimmune, which provided new ideas for the treatment of ONFH. RESULTS: Macrophages are important immune cells involved in inflammatory response, which can differentiate into classically activated type (M1) and alternatively activated type (M2), and play specific functions to participate in and regulate the physiological and pathological processes of the body. Studies have shown that bone immune imbalance mediated by macrophages can cause local chronic inflammation and lead to the occurrence and development of ONFH. Therefore, regulating macrophage polarization is a potential ONFH treatment strategy. In chronic inflammatory microenvironment, inhibiting macrophage polarization to M1 can promote local inflammatory dissipation and effectively delay the progression of ONFH; regulating macrophage polarization to M2 can build a local osteoimmune microenvironment conducive to bone repair, which is helpful to necrotic tissue regeneration and repair to a certain extent. CONCLUSION At present, it has been confirmed that macrophage-mediated chronic inflammatory immune microenvironment is an important mechanism for the occurrence and development of ONFH. It is necessary to study the subtypes of immune cells in ONFH, the interaction between immune cells and macrophages, and the interaction between various immune cells and macrophages, which is beneficial to the development of potential therapeutic methods for ONFH.
Humans ; Femur Head/pathology* ; Osteonecrosis/therapy* ; Macrophages/pathology* ; Inflammation ; Femur Head Necrosis/pathology*

Chronic complication of diving and working in compressed air is dysbaric osteonecrosis. Dysbaric osteonecrosis could be diagnosed by simple bone x-ray, in the case of exposure history to dysbaric atmosphere. The case is 44 years old man who worked as a shell fish diver for 20 years. He was exposed dysbaric atmosphere during diving. He had bone necrosis in both femur head, both distal femur and proximal tibia. He had multiple attacks of decompression sickness. Other causes of bone necrosis are ruled out. We conclude that diver's bone necrosis is dysbaric osteonecrosis.
Adult ; Atmosphere ; Compressed Air ; Decompression Sickness ; Diving ; Femur ; Femur Head ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Osteonecrosis* ; Tibia

BACKGROUND: One of the groups with highest risk for avascular necrosis is patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Corticosteroid therapy is also the most important risk factor. No predictive test, however, was known to detect avascular necrosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate hemodynamic flow to the proximal femur in patients with SLE with long term corticosteroid therapy. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with SLE without avascular necrosis and with long-term corticosteroid treatment (mean months; 41 (1-156)) versus 15 healthy controls were evaluated. Medial and lateral circumflex arteries of 44 hips in 22 SLE patients and 30 hips in healthy controls were examined using ultrasoud equipment with color Doppler and power Doppler capability. Arterial pulstality index (PI) and peak systolic velocity (PSV) were determined with neutral and internal rotation position (stimulated ischemia). RESULTS: PSV was significantly increased in patients with SLE than healthy controls (70.6+/-40.4 vs 46.9+/-19.3; p<0.001) with neutral position as well as (74.8+/-42.3 vs 49.9+/-19.9; p<0.001) with internal rotation. PI was also higher in SLE patients than healthy controls (8.9+/-6.3 vs 5.5+/-3.4; p<0.001) with neutral position as well as (8.1+/-7.1 vs 3.9+/-2.5; p<0.001) with internal rotation. PI strongly correlated with PSV (r=0.99, p<0.001). But PSV or PI did not correlate with duration of corticosteroid use. CONCLUSION: Peak systolic velocity and pulstality index of arteries to the femur head in patients with SLE with long-term corticosteroid treatment were significantly higher than healthy controls. These hemodynamic changes may contribute to develop avascular necrosis of the hip in patients with SLE.
Arteries ; Femur Head* ; Femur* ; Hemodynamics* ; Hip ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Necrosis ; Osteonecrosis ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is defined as the cellular death of bone and bone marrow components due to the loss of blood supply, and associated with post-traumatic or non-traumatic events. AVN usually involves the epiphysis of a long bone, such as the femoral and humeral heads, which are susceptible to osteonecrosis. Many studies have been conducted but they were restricted to investigations of femoral head avascular necrosis. The presence of osteonecrosis in the proximal femur may impair biological fixation after total hip arthroplasty. We report a 56-year-old male patient with avascular necrosis located not only at the femoral head, but also in the entire femur, including the medullary cavity, who underwent total hip arthroplasty 2 years earlier along with a review of the relevant literature.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Bone Marrow ; Epiphyses ; Femur ; Head ; Humans ; Humeral Head ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Osteonecrosis

An experimental study on the effect of the induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head on the femoral anteversion was made in the hips of 74 three to four-week-old rabbits. The results were as follows; l. In 18 of the 74 operated rabbits, a relative increase of anteversion was observed on the operated side, as compared with the nonoperated femur, the differences ranging from 10 to 75°(average increase was 25.9°). 2. Anteversion increase was actually internal rotation of femoral shaft starting from the subtrochanteric level and progressively increasing downward with spiral fashion. 3. The cause of anteversion increase was not proved in this experiment, but anteversion increase was a result of avascular necrosis.
Femur ; Head ; Hip ; Necrosis ; Rabbits

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the usefulness of MRI 3D quantitative analysis for measuring osteonecrosis of the femoral head in comparison with MRI 2D quantitative analysis and quantitative analysis of the specimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For 3 months at our hospital, 14 femoral head specimens with osteonecrosis were obtained after total hip arthroplasty. The patients preoperative MRIs were retrospectively reviewed for quantitative analysis of the size of the necrosis. Each necrotic fraction of the femoral head was measured by 2D quantitative analysis with using mid-coronal and mid-sagittal MRIs, and by 3D quantitative analysis with using serial continuous coronal MRIs and 3D reconstruction software. The necrotic fraction of the specimen was physically measured by the fluid displacement method. The necrotic fraction according to MRI 2D or 3D quantitative analysis was compared with that of the specimen by using Spearman's correlation test. RESULTS: On the correlative analysis, the necrotic fraction by MRI 2D quantitative analysis and quantitative analysis of the specimen showed moderate correlation (r = 0.657); on the other hand, the necrotic fraction by MRI 3D quantitative analysis and quantitative analysis of the specimen demonstrated a strong correlation (r = 0.952) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: MRI 3D quantitative analysis was more accurate than 2D quantitative analysis using MRI for measuring osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Therefore, it may be useful for predicting the clinical outcome and deciding the proper treatment option.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Femur ; Hand ; Head* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Necrosis ; Osteonecrosis* ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the incidence and causative factors of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head after intertrochanteric fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1994 and 2004, 383 cases of intertrochanteric fractures were internally fixed. Among them, 287 cases were followed more than one year; these cases were the subjects of this review. The average follow-up period was 5.3 years (range: 1.6 to 9.3 years). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiographs of the patients who developed AVN of the femoral head after sustaining intertrochanteric fracture. RESULTS: Seven patients (2.4%) were found to have developed AVN during the follow-up. No patients were thought to be at risk for nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head due to steroid or alcohol abuse. Good reduction and good implant position were achieved in all patients. The duration from injury to the development of AVN was from 1 year to 3.8 years. The possible etiologies were initial vigorous trauma to the head and iatrogenic damage of the blood supply during reduction and fixation of the fracture. CONCLUSION: The patients who sustained inter trochanteric fracture should be monitored for development of AVN, and especially if there was an unstable fracture.
Alcoholism ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head* ; Hip Fractures ; Humans ; Incidence ; Medical Records ; Necrosis* ; Osteonecrosis ; Retrospective Studies

After introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the incidence of opportunistic infections and malignancies in HIV patients decreased. On the other hand, several osteoarticular complications are increasingly reported. Avascular necrosis of femoral head is one of such complications. HIV-infected patients have an 100-fold increased risk of avascular necrosis of femoral head compared to the general population. Many risk factors for this debilitating complication have been suggested. This paper reports five cases of avascular necrosis of femoral head in HIV-infected patients with review of literature.
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Femur ; Hand ; Head ; HIV ; Humans ; Incidence ; Necrosis ; Opportunistic Infections ; Osteonecrosis ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy (TRO) is a controversial hip-preserving procedure with a variable success rate. The healing process of femoral head osteonecrosis after TRO has been poorly explained till now. This study aimed to evaluate the healing process of previously transposed necrotic lesion after a TRO for nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head using computed tomography (CT). METHODS: Among 52 patients (58 hips) who had preserved original femoral head after TRO, we retrospectively reviewed 27 patients (28 hips) who had undergone sequential CT scans and had no major complication following TRO. The average age was 34 years (range, 18 to 59 years). The mean follow-up period was 9.1 years. We evaluated the reparative process of the transposed osteonecrotic lesion with CT scans. RESULTS: Plain radiographs of the osteonecrotic lesion revealed sclerotic and lucent changes in 14 hips (50%) and normal bony architecture in the other 14 hips (50%) at the final follow-up. CT scans of the osteonecrotic lesions showed cystic changes with heterogeneous sclerosis in 13 hips (46%), normal trabecular bone with or without small cysts in 9 hips (32%), and fragmentation of the necrotic lesion in 6 hips (22%). Seventeen hips (60%) showed minimal (13 hips) to mild (4 hips) nonprogressive collapse of the transposed osteonecrotic area. The collapse of the transposed osteonecrotic area on the CT scan was significantly associated with the healing pattern (p = 0.009), as all 6 patients (6 hips) with fragmentation of the necrotic lesion had minimal (5 hips) to mild (1 hip) collapse. Furthermore, a significant association was found between the collapse of the transposed osteonecrotic area on the CT scan of 17 hips (60%) and postoperative Harris hip score (p = 0.021). We observed no differences among the healing patterns on CT scans with regard to age, gender, etiology, staging, preoperative lesion type, preoperative intact area, percentage of necrotic area, direction of rotation and immediate postoperative intact area. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the hips showed incomplete regeneration of the transposed osteonecrotic lesion with cysts, sclerosis, and fragmentation, whereas repair with normal trabecular bone was observed only in one-third of the hips that were preserved after Sugioka TRO.
Femur Head Necrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head* ; Hip ; Humans ; Osteonecrosis ; Osteotomy* ; Regeneration ; Retrospective Studies ; Sclerosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) can cause femoral head depression and cortical discontinuity. Treatment for ONFH remains challenging. We performed botulinum toxin type A injection to psoas major muscle in five patients with radiological femoral head collapse (Association Research Circulation Osseus classification stage III) who were non-responsive after two years of conservative treatment (tramadol 200 mg/day, mefenamic acid 1,000 mg/day). At two weeks after the procedure, their mean hip pain was decreased from 88 ± 0.4/100 mm to 22 ± 0.4/100 mm based on visual analogue scale (VAS). The pain was maintained at a minimum of 20/100 mm and a maximum of 30/100 mm in VAS for at least six weeks after the procedure. These values were mean ± SD. These patients were followed-up for 6 months. There was no exacerbation of pain from repeated (three times) botulinum toxin type A injection to the psoas major muscle.
Botulinum Toxins* ; Botulinum Toxins, Type A* ; Classification ; Depression ; Femur Head Necrosis ; Head* ; Hip ; Humans ; Mefenamic Acid ; Osteonecrosis* ; Psoas Muscles*