Physicians and health professionals with osteonecrosis of the femoral head: results of management with free vascularized fibular grafting.

Outcomes of free vascularized fibular grafting for the treatment of femoral head (FH) osteonecrosis between 1) physicians/health professionals and 2) a comparison group of the population at large was performed. Twenty-one healthcare providers (32 hips) were treated: 10 stage II, 7 stage III, and 15 stage IV were treated over a 13-year period. The control group consisted of 1257 hips: 221 with stage II, 220 with stage III, and 816 with stage IV. All patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years. The end point for failure was conversion to total hip arthroplasty. The physician group demonstrated a high degree of postoperative compliance. The conversion rate to total hip arthroplasty was significantly lower in the physician group (6.25%) compared to the control group (20.6%). Outstanding postoperative compliance appears to be related to favorable outcomes. Further evaluation of failure in both groups may help better understand FH osteonecrosis and improved patient outcomes.

Duke Scholars

Author James Randolph Urbaniak Orthopaedic Surgery