title: Core decompression in early stages of femoral head osteonecrosis--an MRI-controlled study.
abstract: We treated 45 hips with idiopathic necrosis of the femoral head stages I-III with core decompression. Average age of patients was 41 (27-68) years and average follow-up 68.9 (31-120) months. In 30 hip joints in stage I, 29 showed no radiographic progression and a complete remission of the changes consistent with necrosis on MRI at the last follow-up. In 27 patients the clinical result based on the Harris Hip Score (HHS) assessment--was excellent (average HHS 91.9 points). Of nine hips in stage II, four had received a total hip arthroplasty, one had deteriorated to stage IV, and four were still classified as stage II (average HHS 95 points). Of six hips in stage III, three had received a total hip arthroplasty and three had deteriorated to stage IV (average HHS 73 points).
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Hospital Vienna--Speising, Austria. n.aigner@ping.at
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aigner
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Eberl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Knahr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome