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Methods to predict osteonecrosis of femoral head after femoral neck fracture: a systematic review of the literature

Hu Y, Yang Q, Zhang J, Peng Y, Guang Q, Li K

Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2023

18 citations

Abstract

Background: Femoral neck fracture (FNF) is a very common traumatic disorder and a major cause of blood supply disruption to the femoral head, which may lead to a severe long-term complication, osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). Early prediction and evaluation of ONFH after FNF could facilitate early treatment and may prevent or reverse the development of ONFH. In this review paper, we will review all the prediction methods reported in the previous literature.

Methods: Studies on the prediction of ONFH after FNF were included in PubMed and MEDLINE databases with articles published before October 2022. Further screening criteria were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. This study highlights all the advantages and disadvantages of the prediction methods.

Results: There were a total of 36 studies included, involving 11 methods to predict ONFH after FNF. Among radiographic imaging, superselective angiography could directly visualize the blood supply of the femoral head, but it is an invasive examination. As noninvasive detection methods, dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and SPECT/CT are easy to operate, have a high sensitivity, and increase specificity. Though still at the early stage of development in clinical studies, micro-CT is a method of highly accurate quantification that can visualize femoral head intraosseous arteries. The prediction model relates to artificial intelligence and is easy to…

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