Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: Update Article

Abstract

Among the pathologies that affect the hip joint, osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is probably the most intriguing and challenging. It consists of a multifactorial disease with a highly-variable spectrum in its clinical presentation. It has a devastating effect, due to disabling painful conditions, both for usual activities and sports. Given the huge range of risk factors, such as prolonged use of corticosteroids (especially in cases of rheumatologic diseases), trauma sequelae, sickle cell anemia, HIV, alcoholism, smoking, blood dyscrasias, and several other diseases that compromise the blood supply to the femoral head, ONFH has a varied clinical presentation and prognosis, which makes it difficult to determine a specific treatment, especially in cases in which chondral involvement has not yet occurred and the hip joint is still preserved. These are the main factors found in the literature that determine the classifications of this pathology. The range of treatments includes several options for cases in which an attempt is made to save the joint: conservative treatment, traditional decompression and/or combined with some type of adjuvant treatment (homologous grafting, synthetic grafting, vascularized grafts, tantalum screws, and bone marrow aspirate injection), and, for cases in which there is already a subchondral fracture and/or collapse of the femoral head and/or a reduction in the joint space, femoral osteotomies or total hip arthroplasty are commonly performed.

Keywords
femur head/abnormalities; osteonecrosis; hip descrompression; hip prosthesis; graft

Resumo

Entre as patologias que acometem a articulação coxofemoral, a osteonecrose da cabeça femoral (ONCF) é provavelmente a mais intrigante e desafiadora. Consiste em uma doença multifatorial, com um espectro muito variável em sua apresentação clínica. Tem efeito devastador, devido a quadros dolorosos incapacitantes tanto para atividades habituais quanto esportivas. Dada a gama enorme de fatores de risco, tais como uso prolongado de corticoides (principalmente em casos de doenças reumatológicas), sequelas de trauma, anemia falciforme, HIV, etilismo, tabagismo, discrasias sanguíneas, e várias outras doenças que comprometem a irrigação sanguínea da cabeça femoral, a ONCF tem apresentação clínica e prognósticos bem variados, o que dificulta a determinação de um tratamento específico, especialmente em casos nos quais ainda não houve acometimento condral e a articulação do quadril ainda se mantém preservada, sendo estes os principais fatores encontrados na literatura que determinam as classificações desta patologia. No leque de tratamentos, encontramos diversas opções para os casos em que setenta salvar a articulação: tratamento conservador, descompressão simples e/ou associada a algum tipo de tratamento adjuvante (enxertia homóloga, enxertia sintética, enxertos vascularizados, parafusos de tântalo, e injeção de aspirado de medula óssea), e, para casos nos quais já há fratura subcondral e/ou colapso da cabeça femoral e/ou diminuição do espaço articular, reserva-se, comumente, a realização de osteotomias femorais ou artroplastia total do quadril.

Palavras-chave
cabeça do fêmur/anormalidades; osteonecrose; descompressão do quadril; prótese de quadril; enxerto

Introduction

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) usually affects young patients between the third and fifth decades of life.11 Fukushima W, Hirota Y. Alcohol. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014:95-99 The initial clinical condition is usually insidious, with the patient reporting a pattern of joint pain (inguinal, in the groin region) associated or not with sports activities, with an occasional sudden increase in pain, probably related to the stage of greater ischemia and increased bone edema of the proximal femur,22 Mont M, Zywiel M, Marker D, et al. The natural history of untreated osteonecrosis of the femoral head. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2010;92(12):2165-2170 which may later evolve to a pattern of improvement over a few months. Occasionally, the patient may have complaints unrelated to the hip joint, such as low back pain, pain in the peritrochanteric region, or in the knees. It is noteworthy that, during the anamnesis, it is of paramount importance to assess the history of previous diseases, drug treatments, and habits and addictions that may be related to ONFH.

In some cases, patients are initially asymptomatic, and are diagnosed with ONFH lesion as a finding of an exam due to another complaint. In more advanced cases, in which there are degenerative changes (cartilage damage, flattening of the femoral head, reduced joint space) and secondary arthrosis, complaints of pain and functional limitation are more important, and the clinical presentation resembles a case of primary coxarthrosis.

The etiology of ONFH comprises a vast series of pathologies that lead to impairment of the microvascular circulation of the femoral head,33 Shah KN, Racine J, Jones LC, Aaron RK. Pathophysiology and risk factors for osteonecrosis. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8 (03):201-209,44 Seamon J, Keller T, Saleh J, Cui Q. The pathogenesis of nontraumatic osteonecrosis. Arthritis 2012;2012:601763 either by mechanical vascular interruption, as in femoral head fractures, femoral neck fractures (especially displaced neck fractures - Garden III or IV - whose syntheses are maintained)55 Xu JL, Liang ZR, Xiong BL, Zou QZ, Lin TY, Yang P, Chen D, Zhang QW. Risk factors associated with osteonecrosis of femoral head after internal fixation of femoral neck fracture: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2019 Dec 29;20(01):632 or dislocation of the hip joint, in which there is injury to the medial circumflex femoral artery;66 Steppacher SD, Haefeli PC, Anwander H, et al. Traumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014:101-112 intravascular occlusion, such as in blood dyscrasias (sickle cell anemia - probably the hematological condition with the fastest clinical evolution,77 Hernigou P, Daltro G. Osteonecrosis in sicklecell disease. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014: 125-131,88 Hernigou P, Habibi A, Bachir D, Galacteros F. The natural history of asymptomatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head in adults with sickle cell disease. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2006;88(12):2565-2572 hemophilia - causing repeated intraosseous hemorrhages, Von Willebrand disease, factor V Leiden mutation, deficiency of proteins C and S, and polycythemia vera)99 Tefferi A, Barbui T. Polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia: 2015 update on diagnosis, risk-stratification and management. Am J Hematol 2015;90(02):162-173; extravascular compression, due to accumulation of fat in the bone marrow, such as with the use of corticosteroids,1010 Mont MA, Pivec R, Banerjee S, Issa K, Elmallah RK, Jones LC. HighDose Corticosteroid Use and Risk of Hip Osteonecrosis: Meta-Analysis and Systematic Literature Review. J Arthroplasty 2015; 30(09):1506-1512.e5,1111 Wang GJ, Cui Q, Balian G. The Nicolas Andry award. The pathogenesis and prevention of steroid-induced osteonecrosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2000;(370):295-310 in which there may be a replacement of pluripotent cells by fat cells, alteration of bone homeostasis, and damage to osteocytes; and alcohol abuse.1212 Wang Y, Li Y, Mao K, Li J, Cui Q, Wang GJ. Alcohol-induced adipogenesis in bone and marrow: a possible mechanism for osteonecrosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2003;(410):213-224,1313 Yoon BH, Mont MA, Koo KH, et al. The 2019 Revised Version of Association Research Circulation Osseous Staging System of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head. J Arthroplasty 2020;35(04): 933-940 As for the use of corticosteroids and alcohol abuse, both have been proven to be dose-dependent, with an increase in the risk with the use of more than 20 mg a day of corticosteroids and an almost 18-fold increase in the risk with an intake of more than 1,000 mL a week of alcohol.

Other less common pathologies,1414 Gold EW, Cangemi PJ. Incidence and pathogenesis of alcoholinduced osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Clin Orthop Relat Res 1979;(143):222-226

15 Sella EMC, Carvalho MRP, Sato EI. Osteonecrose em pacientes com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico. Rev Bras Reumatol 2005;45(01):1-8

16 Yoo JJ. Autoimmune disease and other risk factors. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer201:133-139

17 Sharareh B, Schwarzkopf R. Dysbaric osteonecrosis: a literature review of pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and management. Clin J Sport Med 2015;25(02):153-161

18 Borges ÁH, Hoy J, Florence E, et al; for EuroSIDA. Antiretrovirals, fractures, and osteonecrosis in a large international HIV cohort. Clin Infect Dis 2017;64(10):1413-1421
-1919 Guyton JL. Hip pain in the young adulkt and hip preservation surgery. In: Azar FM, Beaty J, Canale ST editors. Campbell’s Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia: Editora Mosby / Elsevier; 2017:378 such as Gaucher disease, Caisson disease, dysbarism from deep water diving, as well as HIV, radiation therapy, pregnancy, smoking and gout can also lead to ONFH. A current study has shown that, in idiopathic cases, acetabular alterations with less coverage of the femoral head may be related to ONFH.2020 Zeng J, Zeng Y, Wu Y, Liu Y, Xie H, Shen B. Acetabular Anatomical Parameters in Patients With Idiopathic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head. J Arthroplasty 2020;35(02):331-334

The most common pathologies and factors are reported in detail in►Table 1.

Table 1
Risk factors and most common diseases associated with osteonecrosis of the femoral head

Complementary Exams

The diagnostic investigation of ONFH usually starts with a plain radiograph in anteroposterior and lateral views of the hip, but these exams may be unaltered in the early stages of the disease. Specific incidences such as the Dunn, Lequesne and Ducroquet profiles may be requested, especially if there are other diagnostic hypotheses.2121 Pierce TP, Jauregui JJ, Cherian JJ, Elmallah RK, Mont MA. Imaging evaluation of patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8(03):221-227 On plain radiographs, the findings can range from unaltered images at very early stages, including sclerosis of the femoral head, to the presence of a subchondral fracture (crescent sign - radiolucency in the subchondral area, best seen in lateral view), and eventual late alterations, such as collapse of the femoral head, joint space narrowing, and degenerative acetabular alterations.

In extremely suspicious cases, with a typical clinical picture, previous diseases and factors associated with ONFH, with normal radiographs, it is mandatory to complete the diagnostic investigation. Currently, the most used test, with better accuracy, and 99% of sensitivity and specificity, is hip magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In addition to being an excellent diagnostic method, it determines the size and location of the lesion, as well as the presence of bone edema in the proximal femur. The typical findings of necrotic lesion are an area with a “geographic” lesion with hyposignal on T1 and hypersignal on T2. In addition,there is a lesion in double line or double contour on T2, which is considered pathognomonic.

Computed tomography may be requested to diagnose a subchondral fracture not detected on MRI, and to determine the extent of the lesion, but it is less requested than hip MRI scans.

Before the routine use of MRI, bone scintigraphy with technetium was a widely used test. It is very useful as a means of assessing the involvement of other joints, but its current use, as well as that of the positron-emission tomography (PET), is more restricted.

The imaging exams are shown in ►Figure 1.

Fig. 1
(A) Normal hip radiograph; (B) crescent sign; (C) flattening of the head; (D) tomography with head necrosis; (E,F) resonance with T1- and T2-weighted images with necrosis; (G) bone scintigraphy of the femoral head; (H) secondary degenerative changes.

Depending on the patient’s risk factors and diseases, a search for the etiology can be carried out in idiopathic cases, with complementary tests such as complete blood count, coagulogram, coagulation factors, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, urine analysis, and tests to screen for other systemic diseases (hematological and infectious diseases), as well as evaluations of other medical specialties for a coordinated follow-up and better patient care.

Classification

There are several classifications for ONFH, and the ones most commonly used are: 2222 Mont MA, Marulanda GA, Jones LC, et al. Systematic analysis of classification systems for osteonecrosis of the femoral head. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2006;88(Suppl 3):16-26

  1. Ficat and Arlet: based on the clinical picture, imaging findings on radiographs and scintigraphy, and pathological findings. It does not use MRI in its classification, and the downside is that it does not predict prognosis nor measures lesion size. It is the most used classification, and the one most cited in the literature.2323 Ficat RP. Idiopathic bone necrosis of the femoral head. Early diagnosis and treatment. J Bone Joint Surg Br 1985;67(01):3-9

  2. Association Research Circulation Osseus (ARCO) classification: developed in the 1990s based on the classification of the University of Pennsylvania (Steinberg), it includes the location and size of the lesion, with the percentage of collapse and involvement of the femoral head. An updated review of it was recently published.1313 Yoon BH, Mont MA, Koo KH, et al. The 2019 Revised Version of Association Research Circulation Osseous Staging System of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head. J Arthroplasty 2020;35(04): 933-940,2424 Steinberg ME, Steinberg DR. Classification systems for osteonecrosis: an overview. Orthop Clin North Am 2004;35(03):273-283, vii-viii

  3. Kerboul: useful to predict the prognosis, as it involves the measurement of the area of the femoral head injury and its location on plain anteroposterior and lateral radiographs. This classification was extended to measurements in MRIs by Ha et al.2525 Ha YC, Jung WH, Kim JR, Seong NH, Kim SY, Koo KH. Prediction of collapse in femoral head osteonecrosis: a modified Kerboul method with use of magnetic resonance images. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2006;88(Suppl 3):35-40 In radiographs, angles smaller than 180° had a better prognosis, and those greater than 230°, a worse prognosis. On the MRI, these values changed to 190° and 240°.

Table 2 shows the description of the most used classifications.

Table 2
Ficat and Arlet, ARCO and Kerboul classifications

Treatment

Treatment of ONFH is perhaps the most controversial point involving this pathology.2626 Kim-Orden M, Barret K, Khatod M. Algorithm for treatment of hip and knee osteonecrosis: review and Presentation of three examples cases. J Rheum Dis Treat 2017;3(03):053 Disponível em: https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/jrdt/journal-of-rheumatic-diseases-and-treatment-jrdt-3-053.php?jid=jrdt
https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/jrd...
,2727 Larson E, Jones LC, Goodman SB, Koo KH, Cui Q. Early-stage osteonecrosis of the femoral head: where are we and where are we going in year 2018? Int Orthop 2018;42(07):1723-1728 Due to numerous peculiarities regarding the etiology and pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and difficulty in defining an exact prognosis, the treatment varies greatly in the literature and, therefore, among hip surgeons, especially in cases in which there is still no involvement of the articular surface and no subchondral fracture in the femoral head.2828 Mont MA, Cherian JJ, Sierra RJ, Jones LC, Lieberman JR. Nontraumatic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: Where Do We Stand Today? A Ten-Year Update. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2015;97 (19):1604-1627

29 Choi HR, Steinberg MEY, Y ChengE. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head: diagnosis and classification systems. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8(03):210-220

30 Zalavras CG, Lieberman JR. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head: evaluation and treatment. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2014;22(07): 455-464
-3131 Banerjee S, Issa K, Pivec R, Kapadia BH, Khanuja HS, Mont MA. Osteonecrosis of the hip: treatment options and outcomes. Orthop Clin North Am 2013;44(04):463-476 In these cases, the following therapeutic options are described:

1) Non-surgical treatment

These are measures that encompass conservative treatment, all without significant evidence in the literature regarding prognosis:

  • - Analgesic medications and use of support for walking and interruption of sports activities according to pain symptoms.

  • - Physiotherapy activities with muscle strengthening and stretching, as well as treatment with shock waves, electromagnetic stimulation, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

    • - Shock waves: in early stages, there may be a better response in relation to pain symptoms compared to simple decompression and non-vascularized grafts.3232 Wang CJ, Wang FS, Huang CC, Yang KD, Weng LH, Huang HY. Treatment for osteonecrosis of the femoral head: comparison of extracorporeal shock waves with core decompression and bonegrafting. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2005;87(11):2380-2387

    • - Electromagnetic stimulation and hyperbaric chamber: showed encouraging results at early stages, but still without studies with level I of evidence.3333 Al-Jabri T, Tan JYQ, Tong GY, et al. The role ofelectrical stimulation in the managementof avascular necrosis of thefemoral head in adults: a systematic review. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2017;18(01):319,3434 Li W, Ye Z, Wang W, Wang K, Li L, Zhao D. Clinical effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of femoral head necrosis : A systematic review and meta-analysis. Orthopade 2017;46(05):440-446

  • - Oral medications3535 Kaneshiro Y, Oda Y, Iwakiri K, et al. Low hepatic cytochrome P450 3A activity is a risk for corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2006;80(04):396-402,3636 Wang Y, Yin L, Li Y, Liu P, Cui Q. Preventive effects of puerarin on alcohol-induced osteonecrosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2008;466 (05):1059-1067 (bisphosphonates, vasodilators, anticoagulants, statins): all with limited statistical support in scientific studies, and none with a recommendation for routine use.

    • - Bisphosphonates: in theory, by avoiding bone turnover, they could prevent the collapse of the femoral head. As they have some side effects, such as atypical fracture and osteonecrosis of the jaw, and their use in humans has not been scientifically proven, their use is not routinely indicated.3737 Yuan HF, Guo CA, Yan ZQ. The use of bisphosphonate in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a meta-analysis of randomized control trials. Osteoporos Int 2016;27(01): 295-299,3838 Li D, Yang Z, Wei Z, Kang P. Efficacy of bisphosphonates in the treatment of femoral head osteonecrosis: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis of animal studies and clinical trials. Sci Rep 2018;8 (01):1450

    • - Anticoagulants and vasodilators: theoretically, they would be indicated for diseases that cause vascular occlusion and posterior ONFH. There are also no studies that validate its routine use.3939 Glueck C, Freiberg R, Wang P. Treatment of osteonecrosis of the hip and knee with enoxaparin. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014:241-247

      40 Cao F, Liu G, Wang W, et al. Combined treatment with an anticoagulant and a vasodilator prevents steroid-associated osteonecrosis of rabbit femoral heads by improving hypercoagulability. BioMed Res Int 2017;2017:1624074
      -4141 Song Q, Ni J, Jiang H, Shi Z. Sildenafil improves blood perfusion in steroid-induced avascular necrosis of femoral head in rabbits via a protein kinase G-dependent mechanism. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc 2017;51(05):398-403

  • - Statins: they supposedly have the function of preventing the accumulation of fat in the bone marrow and preventing an increase in intraosseous pressure. However, studies with a higher level of evidence are needed to verify its effectiveness.4242 Kandil A, Cui Q. Lipid-lowering agents and their effects on osteonecrosis: pros and cons. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014:255-259

    43 Cui Q, Wang GJ, Su CC, Balian G. The Otto Aufranc Award. Lovastatin prevents steroid induced adipogenesis and osteonecrosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 1997;(344):8-19
    -4444 Pritchett JW. Statin therapy decreases the risk of osteonecrosis in patients receiving steroids. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2001;(386): 173-178

  • - Molecular therapy: a recent study4545 Wang C, Sun W, Ling S, et al. AAV-Anti-miR-214 Prevents Collapse of the Femoral Head in Osteonecrosis by Regulating Osteoblast and Osteoclast Activities. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2019; 18:841-850 with adenovirus associated with anti-mRNA-214, whose importance is to prevent the activation of transcription factor 4, which inhibits the function of the osteoblasts, demonstrated an increase in osteoblastic activity and a decrease in osteoclastic activity, preventing the collapse of the femoral head in mouse models.

2) Surgical treatment

  • - Core decompression: performance of one or multiple perforations of the subchondral bone close to the region of the lesion, in order to provide relief of symptoms and seek an improvement in local blood circulation by reducing intraosseous pressure. It presents best results in small injuries located outside the weight-bearing area. Complications may include intraoperative joint perforation and postoperative subtrochanteric fracture.4646 Miyahara HS, Rosa BB, Hirata FY, Gurgel HMC, Ejnisman L, Vicente JRN. What is the role of core decompression in the early stages of osteonecrosis of the femoral head? Evaluation of the surgical result by functional score and radiological follow-up. Rev Bras Ortop 2018;53(05):537-542

    47 Mont MA, Carbone JJ, Fairbank AC. Core decompression versus nonoperative management for osteonecrosis of the hip. Clin Orthop Relat Res 1996;(324):169-178
    -4848 Pierce TP, Jauregui JJ, Elmallah RK, Lavernia CJ, Mont MA, Nace J. A current review of core decompression in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8 (03):228-232

  • - Adjuvant therapies associated or not with core decompression, as a way to prevent the collapse of the femoral head4949 Hernigou P, Beaujean F. Treatment of osteonecrosis with autologous bone marrow grafting. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2002;(405): 14-23:

    • - Homologous grafting, using the Phemister technique, or the “light bulb” or “trap door” procedures. Usually indicated for small or medium injuries.

    • - Synthetic grafting, called advanced core decompression in the literature.

    • - Microsurgical vascularized graft (fibula, iliac crest, and greater trochanter). The complications encountered involve morbidity due to the surgery, including donor site complications, thrombosis and infection.

All grafting modalities aim to promote a structured bone framework to avoid flattening of the femoral head. They are more indicated in young patients.5050 Millikan PD, Karas V, Wellman SS. Treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head with vascularized bone grafting. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8(03):252-259

51 Pierce TP, Elmallah RK, Jauregui JJ, Poola S, Mont MA, Delanois RE. A current review of non-vascularized bone grafting in osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8 (03):240-245
-5252 Cao L, Guo C, Chen J, Chen Z, Yan Z. Free Vascularized Fibular Grafting Improves Vascularity Compared With Core Decompression in Femoral Head Osteonecrosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2017;475(09):2230-2240

  • - Injection of mesenchymal stem cells (bone marrow aspirate): an attempt to promote osteogenesis and necrosis repair.5353 Cui Q, Botchwey EA. Emerging ideas: treatment of precollapse osteonecrosis using stem cells and growth factors. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2011;469(09):2665-2669 In theory, they decrease the percentage of subchondral collapse in short-term studies.5454 Daltro GC, Fortuna VA, Araújo MAS, Lessa PIF, Batista Sobrinho UA, Borojevic R. Tratamento da Osteonecrose da Cabeça Femoral com celulas progenitoras autólogas em anemia falciforme. Acta Ortop Bras 2008;16(01):23-27

    55 Houdek MT, Wyles CC, Collins MS, et al. Stem cells combined with platelet-rich plasma effectively treat corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis of the hip: a prospective study. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2018;476(02):388-397
    -5656 Xu S, Zhang L, Jin H, et al. Autologous stem cells combined core decompression for treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head: a systematic review. BioMed Res Int 2017; 2017:6136205

  • - Tantalum implants: results are still imprecise, and further studies are needed for the correct indication and selection of the ideal patient.5757 Onggo JR, Nambiar M, Onggo JD, Tay G, Singh PJ, Babazadeh S. Outcome of tantalum rod insertion in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head with minimum follow-up of 1 year: a meta-analysis and systematic review. J Hip Preserv Surg 2020;7 (02):329-339

  • - Femoral osteotomies: the most common in the literature is the Sugioka osteotomy; it consists of an attempt to remove the weight-bearing portion of the joint with the lesion and transfer a healthy area as a new weight-bearing area. The results were not reproduced in all orthopedic centers, and a downside is that there is a possible increase in technical difficulty when patients have to undergo hip prosthesis.5858 Utsunomiya T, Motomura G, Ikemura S, Hamai S, Fukushi JI, Nakashima Y. The Results of Total Hip Arthroplasty After Sugioka Transtrochanteric Anterior Rotational Osteotomy for Osteonecrosis. J Arthroplasty 2017;32(09):2768-2773

  • - Arthrodesis: a technique described in literature, but not often used, mainly because it is a pathology that is often bilateral.

  • - Arthroplastic resection: as well as arthrodesis and osteotomies, a technique less used nowadays, mainly due to the high success rate of total hip prosthesis.5959 Maguire N, Robertson B, Henman P. Girdlestone procedure for avascular necrosis of the hip in an intravenous drug user. J Surg Case Rep 2014;2014(08):rju039

  • Total hip arthroplasty: for cases in which there is already joint involvement, such as the presence of subchondral fracture, flattening of the femoral head and/or joint narrowing, in addition to acetabular changes, the most common treatment is total hip arthroplasty.6060 Pierce TP, Elmallah RK, Jauregui JJ, Verna DF, Mont MA. Outcomes of total hip arthroplasty in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head-a current review. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8(03):246-251

Figure 2 shows images of the treatments described, and ►Figure 3 shows the treatment flowchart.

Fig. 2
Treatments: (A) “light bulb” procedure; (B) decompression and synthetic grafting; (C) “trap door” procedure; (D) simple core decompression; (F) total hip arthroplasty; (G) Sugioka osteotomy; (H) vascularized graft.

Fig. 3
Treatment flowchart.

Final Remarks

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is an extremely intriguing pathology, with several associated factors, multifactorial etiology, and distinct clinical presentations, and there are still divergences regarding the management of each case. A detailed anamnesis and thorough laboratory investigation are of paramount importance to obtain the correct causal diagnosis.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head has several therapeutic options in its early stages, all for symptom relief, and in an attempt to preserve the joint. In these cases, it is extremely important to elucidate and explain the treatment in order to meet the patient’s expectations.

In advanced cases, osteotomies are an option, and total femoral arthroplasty has excellent results, and the procedure should be individualized for each patient.

  • Financial Support
    There was no financial support from public, commercial, or non-profit sources.

References

  • 1
    Fukushima W, Hirota Y. Alcohol. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014:95-99
  • 2
    Mont M, Zywiel M, Marker D, et al. The natural history of untreated osteonecrosis of the femoral head. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2010;92(12):2165-2170
  • 3
    Shah KN, Racine J, Jones LC, Aaron RK. Pathophysiology and risk factors for osteonecrosis. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8 (03):201-209
  • 4
    Seamon J, Keller T, Saleh J, Cui Q. The pathogenesis of nontraumatic osteonecrosis. Arthritis 2012;2012:601763
  • 5
    Xu JL, Liang ZR, Xiong BL, Zou QZ, Lin TY, Yang P, Chen D, Zhang QW. Risk factors associated with osteonecrosis of femoral head after internal fixation of femoral neck fracture: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2019 Dec 29;20(01):632
  • 6
    Steppacher SD, Haefeli PC, Anwander H, et al. Traumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014:101-112
  • 7
    Hernigou P, Daltro G. Osteonecrosis in sicklecell disease. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014: 125-131
  • 8
    Hernigou P, Habibi A, Bachir D, Galacteros F. The natural history of asymptomatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head in adults with sickle cell disease. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2006;88(12):2565-2572
  • 9
    Tefferi A, Barbui T. Polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia: 2015 update on diagnosis, risk-stratification and management. Am J Hematol 2015;90(02):162-173
  • 10
    Mont MA, Pivec R, Banerjee S, Issa K, Elmallah RK, Jones LC. HighDose Corticosteroid Use and Risk of Hip Osteonecrosis: Meta-Analysis and Systematic Literature Review. J Arthroplasty 2015; 30(09):1506-1512.e5
  • 11
    Wang GJ, Cui Q, Balian G. The Nicolas Andry award. The pathogenesis and prevention of steroid-induced osteonecrosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2000;(370):295-310
  • 12
    Wang Y, Li Y, Mao K, Li J, Cui Q, Wang GJ. Alcohol-induced adipogenesis in bone and marrow: a possible mechanism for osteonecrosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2003;(410):213-224
  • 13
    Yoon BH, Mont MA, Koo KH, et al. The 2019 Revised Version of Association Research Circulation Osseous Staging System of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head. J Arthroplasty 2020;35(04): 933-940
  • 14
    Gold EW, Cangemi PJ. Incidence and pathogenesis of alcoholinduced osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Clin Orthop Relat Res 1979;(143):222-226
  • 15
    Sella EMC, Carvalho MRP, Sato EI. Osteonecrose em pacientes com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico. Rev Bras Reumatol 2005;45(01):1-8
  • 16
    Yoo JJ. Autoimmune disease and other risk factors. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer201:133-139
  • 17
    Sharareh B, Schwarzkopf R. Dysbaric osteonecrosis: a literature review of pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and management. Clin J Sport Med 2015;25(02):153-161
  • 18
    Borges ÁH, Hoy J, Florence E, et al; for EuroSIDA. Antiretrovirals, fractures, and osteonecrosis in a large international HIV cohort. Clin Infect Dis 2017;64(10):1413-1421
  • 19
    Guyton JL. Hip pain in the young adulkt and hip preservation surgery. In: Azar FM, Beaty J, Canale ST editors. Campbell’s Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia: Editora Mosby / Elsevier; 2017:378
  • 20
    Zeng J, Zeng Y, Wu Y, Liu Y, Xie H, Shen B. Acetabular Anatomical Parameters in Patients With Idiopathic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head. J Arthroplasty 2020;35(02):331-334
  • 21
    Pierce TP, Jauregui JJ, Cherian JJ, Elmallah RK, Mont MA. Imaging evaluation of patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8(03):221-227
  • 22
    Mont MA, Marulanda GA, Jones LC, et al. Systematic analysis of classification systems for osteonecrosis of the femoral head. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2006;88(Suppl 3):16-26
  • 23
    Ficat RP. Idiopathic bone necrosis of the femoral head. Early diagnosis and treatment. J Bone Joint Surg Br 1985;67(01):3-9
  • 24
    Steinberg ME, Steinberg DR. Classification systems for osteonecrosis: an overview. Orthop Clin North Am 2004;35(03):273-283, vii-viii
  • 25
    Ha YC, Jung WH, Kim JR, Seong NH, Kim SY, Koo KH. Prediction of collapse in femoral head osteonecrosis: a modified Kerboul method with use of magnetic resonance images. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2006;88(Suppl 3):35-40
  • 26
    Kim-Orden M, Barret K, Khatod M. Algorithm for treatment of hip and knee osteonecrosis: review and Presentation of three examples cases. J Rheum Dis Treat 2017;3(03):053 Disponível em: https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/jrdt/journal-of-rheumatic-diseases-and-treatment-jrdt-3-053.php?jid=jrdt
    » https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/jrdt/journal-of-rheumatic-diseases-and-treatment-jrdt-3-053.php?jid=jrdt
  • 27
    Larson E, Jones LC, Goodman SB, Koo KH, Cui Q. Early-stage osteonecrosis of the femoral head: where are we and where are we going in year 2018? Int Orthop 2018;42(07):1723-1728
  • 28
    Mont MA, Cherian JJ, Sierra RJ, Jones LC, Lieberman JR. Nontraumatic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: Where Do We Stand Today? A Ten-Year Update. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2015;97 (19):1604-1627
  • 29
    Choi HR, Steinberg MEY, Y ChengE. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head: diagnosis and classification systems. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8(03):210-220
  • 30
    Zalavras CG, Lieberman JR. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head: evaluation and treatment. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2014;22(07): 455-464
  • 31
    Banerjee S, Issa K, Pivec R, Kapadia BH, Khanuja HS, Mont MA. Osteonecrosis of the hip: treatment options and outcomes. Orthop Clin North Am 2013;44(04):463-476
  • 32
    Wang CJ, Wang FS, Huang CC, Yang KD, Weng LH, Huang HY. Treatment for osteonecrosis of the femoral head: comparison of extracorporeal shock waves with core decompression and bonegrafting. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2005;87(11):2380-2387
  • 33
    Al-Jabri T, Tan JYQ, Tong GY, et al. The role ofelectrical stimulation in the managementof avascular necrosis of thefemoral head in adults: a systematic review. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2017;18(01):319
  • 34
    Li W, Ye Z, Wang W, Wang K, Li L, Zhao D. Clinical effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of femoral head necrosis : A systematic review and meta-analysis. Orthopade 2017;46(05):440-446
  • 35
    Kaneshiro Y, Oda Y, Iwakiri K, et al. Low hepatic cytochrome P450 3A activity is a risk for corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2006;80(04):396-402
  • 36
    Wang Y, Yin L, Li Y, Liu P, Cui Q. Preventive effects of puerarin on alcohol-induced osteonecrosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2008;466 (05):1059-1067
  • 37
    Yuan HF, Guo CA, Yan ZQ. The use of bisphosphonate in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a meta-analysis of randomized control trials. Osteoporos Int 2016;27(01): 295-299
  • 38
    Li D, Yang Z, Wei Z, Kang P. Efficacy of bisphosphonates in the treatment of femoral head osteonecrosis: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis of animal studies and clinical trials. Sci Rep 2018;8 (01):1450
  • 39
    Glueck C, Freiberg R, Wang P. Treatment of osteonecrosis of the hip and knee with enoxaparin. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014:241-247
  • 40
    Cao F, Liu G, Wang W, et al. Combined treatment with an anticoagulant and a vasodilator prevents steroid-associated osteonecrosis of rabbit femoral heads by improving hypercoagulability. BioMed Res Int 2017;2017:1624074
  • 41
    Song Q, Ni J, Jiang H, Shi Z. Sildenafil improves blood perfusion in steroid-induced avascular necrosis of femoral head in rabbits via a protein kinase G-dependent mechanism. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc 2017;51(05):398-403
  • 42
    Kandil A, Cui Q. Lipid-lowering agents and their effects on osteonecrosis: pros and cons. In: Koo K, Mont M, Jones L editors. Osteonecrosis. Berlin: Springer; 2014:255-259
  • 43
    Cui Q, Wang GJ, Su CC, Balian G. The Otto Aufranc Award. Lovastatin prevents steroid induced adipogenesis and osteonecrosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 1997;(344):8-19
  • 44
    Pritchett JW. Statin therapy decreases the risk of osteonecrosis in patients receiving steroids. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2001;(386): 173-178
  • 45
    Wang C, Sun W, Ling S, et al. AAV-Anti-miR-214 Prevents Collapse of the Femoral Head in Osteonecrosis by Regulating Osteoblast and Osteoclast Activities. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2019; 18:841-850
  • 46
    Miyahara HS, Rosa BB, Hirata FY, Gurgel HMC, Ejnisman L, Vicente JRN. What is the role of core decompression in the early stages of osteonecrosis of the femoral head? Evaluation of the surgical result by functional score and radiological follow-up. Rev Bras Ortop 2018;53(05):537-542
  • 47
    Mont MA, Carbone JJ, Fairbank AC. Core decompression versus nonoperative management for osteonecrosis of the hip. Clin Orthop Relat Res 1996;(324):169-178
  • 48
    Pierce TP, Jauregui JJ, Elmallah RK, Lavernia CJ, Mont MA, Nace J. A current review of core decompression in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8 (03):228-232
  • 49
    Hernigou P, Beaujean F. Treatment of osteonecrosis with autologous bone marrow grafting. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2002;(405): 14-23
  • 50
    Millikan PD, Karas V, Wellman SS. Treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head with vascularized bone grafting. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8(03):252-259
  • 51
    Pierce TP, Elmallah RK, Jauregui JJ, Poola S, Mont MA, Delanois RE. A current review of non-vascularized bone grafting in osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8 (03):240-245
  • 52
    Cao L, Guo C, Chen J, Chen Z, Yan Z. Free Vascularized Fibular Grafting Improves Vascularity Compared With Core Decompression in Femoral Head Osteonecrosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2017;475(09):2230-2240
  • 53
    Cui Q, Botchwey EA. Emerging ideas: treatment of precollapse osteonecrosis using stem cells and growth factors. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2011;469(09):2665-2669
  • 54
    Daltro GC, Fortuna VA, Araújo MAS, Lessa PIF, Batista Sobrinho UA, Borojevic R. Tratamento da Osteonecrose da Cabeça Femoral com celulas progenitoras autólogas em anemia falciforme. Acta Ortop Bras 2008;16(01):23-27
  • 55
    Houdek MT, Wyles CC, Collins MS, et al. Stem cells combined with platelet-rich plasma effectively treat corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis of the hip: a prospective study. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2018;476(02):388-397
  • 56
    Xu S, Zhang L, Jin H, et al. Autologous stem cells combined core decompression for treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head: a systematic review. BioMed Res Int 2017; 2017:6136205
  • 57
    Onggo JR, Nambiar M, Onggo JD, Tay G, Singh PJ, Babazadeh S. Outcome of tantalum rod insertion in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head with minimum follow-up of 1 year: a meta-analysis and systematic review. J Hip Preserv Surg 2020;7 (02):329-339
  • 58
    Utsunomiya T, Motomura G, Ikemura S, Hamai S, Fukushi JI, Nakashima Y. The Results of Total Hip Arthroplasty After Sugioka Transtrochanteric Anterior Rotational Osteotomy for Osteonecrosis. J Arthroplasty 2017;32(09):2768-2773
  • 59
    Maguire N, Robertson B, Henman P. Girdlestone procedure for avascular necrosis of the hip in an intravenous drug user. J Surg Case Rep 2014;2014(08):rju039
  • 60
    Pierce TP, Elmallah RK, Jauregui JJ, Verna DF, Mont MA. Outcomes of total hip arthroplasty in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head-a current review. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2015;8(03):246-251

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    26 July 2022
  • Date of issue
    2022

History

  • Received
    27 Nov 2020
  • Accepted
    18 May 2021
Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia Al. Lorena, 427 14º andar, 01424-000 São Paulo - SP - Brasil, Tel.: 55 11 2137-5400 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: rbo@sbot.org.br