Problems of diagnosis and treatment of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head in contemporary traumatology and orthopedics (literature review)

Introduction Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) is a severe disease most commonly associated with previous trauma, alcohol intake, administration of corticosteroids or blood diseases. Early diagnosis is difficult, there is no conservative treatment protocol with proven effectiveness, and the organ-preserving surgical treatments which have been used may not always postpone hip arthroplasty. Arthroplasty provides good results in the short and long-term postoperative period, but the prevalence of this disease among young people requires developing new methods of conservative and operative treatment. Objective To determine the problems of diagnosis and treatment of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head; to study the experience of current approaches and concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of ANFH; determine the range of the most effective methods for treating this pathology; to establish the relevance of further research on this issue. Materials and methods Literature review was conducted of the sources from PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The material was selected that corresponded to the stated purpose of the research topic. For describing some aspects of the aetiology, pathogenesis and development of methods for diagnosing and treating ANFH, earlier publications (2009-2014) were also used. Results The main views on the aetiology and pathogenesis of ANFH have been studied. Classical and current diagnostic methods for ANFH were reviewed as well as current operative and conservative approaches to the treatment of this pathology. A review of the main classifications was conducted. Discussion Early detection and examination of at-risk patients plays an important role in the diagnosis of ANFH. The results of clinical trials on the use of bisphosphonates seem mixed, as the meta-analysis in five randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in 2016 showed no statistically significant improvement in patients with ANFH. Hyperbaric oxygenation reduces interstitial ischemia by increasing extracellular oxygen concentration and shows encouraging results. Core decompression is recognized as the standard care in the early stages of ANFH. At present, the use of combined treatment with bisphosphonates, core-decompression and mesenchymal stem cells has been investigated. Combined therapy may be effective in slowing the progression of collapse at an early stage of ANFH, but further research is needed to have long-term results. Conclusion Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head is a severe polyetiological disease that has not been sufficiently studied. For its diagnosis, it is necessary to take into account the possible risk factors and to ensure an early MRI study. At present, there is no data on a conservative method of treating the early stages of ANFH, which would have high evidence and effectiveness not only in the immediate, but also in the long-term follow-up. It is necessary to conduct additional prospective randomized clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of already known and developed methods of cell therapy in the treatment of ANFH.