Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Core decompression with bone graft is a common method for avascular necrosis of the femoral head clinically. With the development of biomechanics research on the femoral head, porous tantalum rod insertion is more and more used for avascular necrosis of the femoral head. However, the comparative study between the two methods is rarely reported.
OBJECTIVE: To contrast the clinical effect of core decompression with bone graft and porous tantalum rod insertion on avascular necrosis of the femoral head.
METHODS: Totally 36 patients (45 hips) with avascular necrosis of the femoral head were selected, and 15 patients in them (19 hips) underwent core decompression with bone graft, while 21 patients (26 hips) underwent porous tantalum screw insertion.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All patients were succeeded in operation and followed up for 3-12 months. There was no significant difference between the two groups in intraoperative blood loss, surgical time and hospital days. Harris hip score was significantly increased postoperatively (P < 0.05). The average Harris hip score of porous tantalum rod insertion group was higher than that of core decompression with bone graft group. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that compared with the core decompress with bone graft, porous tantalum rod insertion shows more satisfactory result in the joint function improvement following avascular necrosis of the femoral head at early stage, and prevents the continuous sinking of joint cartilage.