ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the correlation of venous return disturbance (VRD), bone marrow edema (BME) and the amount of joint fluid with clinical symptoms in osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty patients (25 hips) with ONFH proved by pathology were parallelly examined by 1.5 T MR and medullograph.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>In total 25 hips VRD was observed in 16 hips with medullograph and 13 hips with the clinical symptoms (P <0.05). BME was found in 17 with MRI (P <0.01), and the was found in 15 hips with MRI (Spearman=0.949). VRD were found in 16 hydrarthrus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ONFH patients with clinical symptoms have VRD, BME and the hydrarthrus. The medullograph is of value in monitoring the development of ONFH.</p>