Degree of corticosteroid treatment within the first 2 months of renal transplantation has a strong influence on the incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
OBJECTIVE
It has been suggested that avascular osteonecrosis (AVN) of the femoral head develops early after renal transplantation. We evaluated the relationship between risk of AVN and dose of steroids administered in different time periods.


METHODS
Development of AVN was determined using MRI at 3-6 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 24 weeks, and 12 months after transplantation in 150 patients (96 males). We investigated possible associations between acute rejection reactions, the dose of cyclosporine, tacrolimus use, total steroid dose by the second, fourth, sixth, or eighth weeks after transplantation, and incidence of AVN.


RESULTS
There was no statistically significant difference between incidence of AVN and presence or absence of an acute rejection reaction. We found a statistically significant association between AVN incidence and the total dose of steroids administered during the first 2 months after transplantation, and there was a doseresponse relationship. No other statistically significant associations were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings confirm that the total dose of steroids given within the first 2 months after renal transplantation has a great influence on the incidence of AVN.
Department of Orthopedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Masahiko
M
Shibatani
Mikihiro
M
Fujioka
Yuji
Y
Arai
Kenji
K
Takahashi
Keiichiro
K
Ueshima
Masahiko
M
Okamoto
Norio
N
Yoshimura
Yoshio
Y
Hirota
Wakaba
W
Fukushima
Toshikazu
T
Kubo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D011239:Prednisolone; D016559:Tacrolimus; D008775:Methylprednisolone