Selective digital subtraction arteriography in necrosis of the femoral head.

Selective digital subtraction arteriographic investigations of the arteries of the femoral head in 31 patients with traumatic and 34 patients with nontraumatic femoral head necrosis (FHN) were compared with investigations in a control group of 35 patients without hip disease. In the control group and in patients with nontraumatic FHN atypical arteriographic findings were found only in one third of cases. In traumatic FHN, however, vascular alterations could be detected in 97% of cases. This evidence suggests that damage to the femoral head vessels is a major etiological factor in traumatic, but not in nontraumatic, FHN. In late arterial phases of DSA a perinecrotic hypervascularization was the common feature in all nontraumatic necroses and could be observed in 71% of traumatic necroses. Its pathophysiological mechanism is discussed.