This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal My Folders Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kloen, P. Articles by Ganz, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kloen, P. Articles by Ganz, R.

Early lesions of the labrum and acetabular cartilage in osteonecrosis of the femoral head

1999 M. E. Müller Foundation Fellow Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.

M. Leunig, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon; and R. Ganz, MD, Professor and Chairman

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Berne, Inselspital, Berne, 3010-CH, Switzerland.

Correspondence should be sent to Dr M. Leunig.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head can be caused by a variety of disorders and affects the relatively young patient. Most studies have concentrated on the femoral changes; the sites of early lesions of the labrum and acetabular cartilage have not been recorded. We studied 17 hips with osteonecrosis and a wide congruent joint space on radiographs and by direct inspection of the femoral head, labrum and acetabular cartilage during surgery. All of the femoral heads had some anterosuperior flattening which reduced the head-neck ratio in this area. A consistent pattern of damage to the labrum and the acetabular cartilage was seen in all hips. Intraoperatively, impingement and the cam-effect with its spatial correlation with lesions of the labrum and acetabular cartilage were observed. These findings could be helpful when undertaking conservative surgery for osteonecrosis, since the recognition of early radiologically undetectable acetabular lesions may require modification of the surgical technique.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. R. Crawford and R. N. Villar Current concepts in the management of femoroacetabular impingement J Bone Joint Surg Br, November 1, 2005; 87-B(11): 1459 - 1462. [Full Text] [PDF]