Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (3): 680-690.doi: 10.12307/2026.004

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Research progress in the relationship between nontraumatic necrosis of the femoral head and lipid metabolism and its treatment

Zhou Zixiang1, Zhao Baoxiang2   

  1. 1School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong Province, China; 2Department of Femoral Head, Linyi People’s Hospital, Shandong Second Medical University, Linyi 276000, Shandong Province, China 

  • Received:2024-11-06 Accepted:2025-01-09 Online:2026-01-28 Published:2025-07-05
  • Contact: Zhao Baoxiang, MD, Associate chief physician, Department of Femoral Head, Linyi People’s Hospital, Shandong Second Medical University, Linyi 276000, Shandong Province, China
  • About author:Zhou Zixiang, Master candidate, School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Shandong Province Chinese Medicine Science and Technology General Project, No. M-2022101 (to ZBX); 2024 Scientific Research and Development Foundation of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, No. 2024FYM072 (to ZBX)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of nontraumatic necrosis of the femoral head is still unclear. Among them, the lipid metabolism disorder is an important hypothesis of the cause of nontraumatic necrosis of the femoral head. Regulating blood lipid metabolism to inhibit the progression of femoral head necrosis has become an important method for the treatment of nontraumatic femoral head necrosis.
OBJECTIVE: To review the research progress in the relationship between nontraumatic necrosis of the femoral head and lipid metabolism disorder and the treatment of nontraumatic necrosis of the femoral head.
METHODS: Using “osteonecrosis of femoral head, nontraumatic osteonecrosis of femoral head, femoral head necrosis, osteonecrosis and lipid, lipid metabolism osteonecrosis, polymorphisms osteonecrosis of femoral head, pathway osteonecrosis of femoral head, steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head, alcohol-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head” as Chinese and English search terms, relevant articles were searched on CNKI, WanFang databases, Yiigle, and PubMed databases. Finally, 104 articles were included for summarization.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Patients with femoral head necrosis are often accompanied by dyslipidemia. It was found that high total cholesterol, high triglyceride, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high apolipoprotein B, low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low apolipoprotein were the risk factors causing necrosis of the femoral head. In patients with different triggers of femoral head necrosis, blood lipid levels are usually different. (2) Hormone and alcohol, as the two major causes of nontraumatic necrosis of the femoral head, can induce adipogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, increase the number of fat cells in the bone marrow cavity, and accumulate fat droplets, ultimately leading to necrosis of the femoral head. (3) Many adipokines and molecules related to lipid metabolism, such as adiponectin, leptin, lipid carrier protein 2, etc. have been confirmed to be related to femoral head necrosis. (4) Some signaling pathways, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, wnt/β-catenin and adenosine activated protein kinase, can change the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and thus participate in the occurrence and development of necrosis of the femoral head. Lipid metabolism signaling pathways, such as phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B and bone morphogenetic protein 2, are also related to necrosis of the femoral head, which may affect the progression of femoral head necrosis through the regulation of lipid metabolism. (5) Studies have found that cordycepin, Panax notoginseng saponins, gushiling capsule and other Chinese medicines, as well as statins can achieve the therapeutic effect on nontraumatic necrosis of the femoral head by improving lipid metabolism disorder.

Key words: osteonecrosis of the femoral head, lipid metabolism, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, osteogenic differentiation, adipogenic differentiation, engineered tissue construction

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