Assessing the degree of necrotic femoral head, and association of blood supply with pathlogical changes:study protocol for a diagnostic animal trial / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The imaging methods of evaluating the volume of necrotic femoral head are based on Kerboul angle and necrosis index revealed on X-ray, as well as CT and MRI three-dimensional reconstruction, but the accuracy of each method is different, and none is widely accepted. Additionally, the association of the volum and degree of necrotic femoral head with the status of blood supply to the femoral head remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of each imaing method for assessing different stages of femoral head necrosis, and to confirm a convenient method used for measuring the volum of necrotic femoral head. METHODS: This diagnostic in vivo animal trial was finished in the Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Liaoning Province, China. The canine models of steroid-induced necrosis of femoral head were prepared, and received CT and MRI examinations, followed by three-dimensional reconstruction combined with Micro-CT to make accuratediagnosis; the degree of necrotic femoral head and its association with the status of blood supply were evaluated throughangiography and histopathological examination. All above outcome measures were compared with the Association Research Circulation Osseous to testify the consistency of this precise method with traditional methods. The experiment follows the national guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and Consensus author guidelines on animal ethics and welfare by the international Association for Veterinary Editors (IAVE). The article was prepared in accordance with the Animal Research Reporting of In Vivo Experiments Guidelines (ARRIVE Guidelines). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The aim of the study is to obtain a accurate measurement method by detecting different stages of osteonecrosis using different imaging techniques, which enables surgeons make exact diagnosis and clinical stage of osteonecrosis, thus desiging standardized treatment program.