title: Bone marrow fat-cell enlargement in early steroid-induced osteonecrosis--a histomorphometric study of autopsy cases.
abstract: Some animal studies and magnetic resonance imaging studies suggest that there may exist a relationship between abnormal lipid metabolisms and osteonecrosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the size of bone marrow fat cells in the early osteonecrosis femoral head using autopsy specimens. We compared the size of bone marrow fat cells in the viable areas in the following three autopsy groups: the early osteonecrosis group (4 femoral heads); the steroid-administered group (without osteonecrosis) (n = 10), and the normal group (n = 19). In addition, after adjusting for age and sex, the size of bone marrow fat cells was compared using multiple regression analysis. The size of bone marrow fat cells was significantly larger in the early osteonecrosis group (84.7+/-5.5 microm) than in both the steroid-administered group (75.3+/-4.3 microm) and the normal group (76.3+/-4.9 microm) (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). After adjusting for age and sex, the size of bone marrow fat cells in the early osteonecrosis group was significantly larger as compared with the other groups. This study suggests that in steroid-induced osteonecrosis, the size of bone marrow fat cells increases significantly at an early stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Goro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Motomura
authors.forename: Takuaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyanishi
authors.forename: Akihisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Katsuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sueishi
authors.forename: Yukihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D049108:Cell Enlargement / Q000187:drug effects*; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D011239:Prednisolone