Comparison of MRI and Pathology among Nontraumatic Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head / 实用放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate nontraumatic avascular necrotic of the femoral head with different etiology whether or not having similar MRI and pathologic findings.Methods MRI features of nontraumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head caused by differant etiology in 98 patients(152 hips) were retrospectively analysed.The causes of osteonecrosis of the femoral head included steroid-induced in 49 patients(86 hips),alcoholic in 18 patients(25 hips) and idiopathic cause in 31 patients(41hips).Gross section and pathologic examinations were performed on 34 femoral heads obtained after total hip replacement from 25 patients.Results Osteonecrosis of the femoral head with different etiology occurred at the anterior superior part of femoral head.The necrotic zones both on pathological gross section and MRI were consisted of cartilage,necrotic focus,proliferative zone and normal bony zones along the lesions.The proliferative zone surrounded necrotic area was low signal intensity on both T1WI and T2WI.There was correlations between localized MRI signal behavior and specific histopathologic features of femoral head osteonecrosis.Conclusion Nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral heads associated with different etiology have similar characteristics on both MRI and pathology