OBJECTIVETo evaluate the femoral head perfusion and to predict the traumatic avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head by single photon emission computerized tomography and computerized tomography (SPECT/CT).

METHODSTotally 18 adult beagle dogs were divided randomly into three equal-sized (n equal to 6) groups. Subsequently different degrees of ischemia model were developed by destroying blood vessels of the femoral head. The left hip received sham operation as normal control and the right hip underwent blood interruption. In Group A, the ligamentum teres was cut off. In Group B, the marrow cavity of the right femoral neck was destroyed while in Group C, the soft tissues at the base of the femoral neck were stripped in addition to the resection of the ligamentum teres and destruction of the marrow cavity. Three hours after surgery, SPECT/CT was performed. Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF) measurements were also obtained at three different time points (before operation, immediately and three hours after operation) in order to assess the change process of blood supply to the femoral head.

RESULTSSPECT/CT showed no significant difference in the radionuclide uptake between the right and left femoral heads in Group A (t equal to -0.09, P equal to 0.94) and Group B (t equal to 0.52, P equal to 0.62). However, in Group C, it was 261+/-62 for the right femoral head, only 12% of that in the left femoral head. LDF measurements indicated that the femoral head perfusion was decreased from (45.0+/-3.3) PU to (39.1+/-3.7) PU in Group A,from (44.0+/-2.7) PU to (34.3+/-2.6) PU in Group B, and from (47.3+/-2.1) PU to (4.96+/-0.6) PU in Group C immediately after operation. However, the perfusion was restored and returned to normal values three hours after operation except in Group C.

CONCLUSIONSPECT/CT could assess the perfusion of the femoral head semiquantitatively, which might be useful in predicting the development of traumatic AVN.