ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In recent years, with the deepening of medical research, it has been found that PI3K/AKT signaling pathway has a regulatory effect on vascular repair regeneration, osteoblast differentiation and proliferation, and osteoclast bone differentiation. This is very important for the treatment of femoral head necrosis. OBJECTIVE: To provide a brief overview of the main research progress in mechanisms of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway regulating femoral head necrosis in recent years, aiming to provide new ideas for the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head in the future. METHODS: PubMed and MEDLINE database, Wanfang, CNKI, WIPO and CBM database were searched from 2012 to 2019, for relevant domestic and foreign literatures, including: (1) epidemiological study of osteonecrosis of the femoral head and related pathogenesis; (2) PI3K/AKT pathway related mechanism; (3) research literature on the effects of PI3K/AKT on factors related to vascular repair and regeneration; (4) research literature on the regulation of PI3K/AKT on osteoblast differentiation and proliferation-related factors; (5) literature on the regulation of PI3K/AKT on functional factors related to osteoclast differentiation. A total of 62 literatures were included for analysis and summary. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway has been proven to be effective in the regulation of vascular repair regeneration, osteoblast differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis and osteoclast differentiation. After understanding these pathways, research and development of related drugs to improve the success rate of early conservative treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head have great development prospects and potential, opening up a new path for future orthopedic surgeons to treat osteonecrosis of the femoral head, and bringing new hope to patients and their families. (2) According to the different osteonecrosis of the femoral head conditions of patients, how to use PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to guide treatment becomes a breakthrough point and challenge of this technology, and more research is needed later.