title: The diagnosis and treatment of nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
abstract: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a potentially debilitating disease that frequently affects young patients in the third through fifth decades of life. If untreated, this disease will result in total destruction of the hip joint; therefore, early diagnosis and intervention are essential to optimize outcome. Although the etiology of osteonecrosis of the femoral head is poorly understood, awareness of well-established risk factors and associated disorders can assist in early detection and possible prevention of hip joint destruction. All patients with symptomatic hip disease should undergo standard radiographic evaluation; however, MRI remains the most sensitive diagnostic modality. Depending on the stage of the disease, options for treatment range from minimally invasive procedures such as core decompression to total joint arthroplasty.
authors.affiliation: Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopaedics, Center for Joint Preservation and Reconstruction, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Gracia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Etienne
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mont
authors.forename: Phillip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ragland
mesh_terms: D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000379:methods; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans