Traumatic and Non-traumatic Osteonecrosis in the Femoral Head of a Rabbit Model

Abstract

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is an idiopathic, debilitating and progressive disease. A number of traumatic or non-traumatic animal models have been reported for research on osteonecrosis. This study was performed to compare the efficacy of femoral head osteonecrosis in rabbits by traumatic and non-traumatic methods. Twenty-seven New Zealand White rabbits were divided into three experimental groups, nine heads each. Two groups were surgically induced into osteonecrosis; a steel cerclage wire was ligated tightly around the neck of the right femoral head (Group W), and the femoral neck was tied with a cerclage wire in the same way as in the W group, and burned by attachment of an electrode tip to the wire and then the wire was removed (Group B). The other group was induced into osteonecrosis with a single intra-muscular injection of 20 mg/kg methyl-prednisolone acetate single injection (Group M). In the control group, the left femoral head of animals in group W and B was used. After two weeks, rabbits were sacrificed and the femoral head and neck were collected. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head was evaluated by radiography, histology and immunohistology methods. Osteonecrosis lesions in the femoral head were identified in traumatic models of groups W and B. Cartilage degeneration in the superficial layer and TUNEL positive cells in the femoral head were detected more in Group B than in Group W. These findings revealed that short-term induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head was effectively achieved by cautery around the femoral neck.

Mechanism of chlorogenic acid treatment on femoral head necrosis and its protection of osteoblasts

“…Furthermore, in the femoral head ultrastructure necrosis, osteoblast-like cell death and lysis were also identified (14). This indicated that femoral head necrosis is closely associated with the change in the number of bone cells.…”

A Rabbit Model of Avascular Necrosis of Femoral Head Using Surgical Trauma and Systemic Steroids

“…Another method to disturb vascularization of the femoral head has also been suggested by Hwang et al (2). In that study, after the proximal femur was exposed to create traumatic ANFH, a tight cerclage wire was wrapped around the femur necks of one group of rabbits, while a cerclage wire was wrapped around the femur necks of another group and electric current was given to this wire by monopolar cautery.…”

“…Femoral head osteonecrosis is a common disease, affecting the relatively young population (2). Although its pathomechanism has not been definitively elucidated, it is assumed that there is an ischemic factor and blood loss problem in both traumatic and non-traumatic femoral head osteonecrosis (2). Pathologies caused by different etiologies are similar.…”

“…Its etiologic factors include systemic steroid use, alcoholism, blood diseases, radiotherapy, trauma and disbaric diseases (1). Bleeding of the femoral head decreases due to either direct trauma (fractures of the femoral neck) or increased intraosseous pressure (2). ANFH most commonly affects the population aged between 20 and 50 years (3).…”

“…The most commonly used method in animal models is systemic steroid administration (6)(7)(8). Ethanol injection to femur head, heating of the femur head with microwave, freezing of the femur head with liquid nitrogen and then burning the femur neck with cerclage are the other methods present (2,9,10,11).…”