Core Decompression for Avascular Necrosis of the Hip

What is Core Decompression for Avascular Necrosis of the Hip?

The hip joint is a ball and socket joint, where the head of the thighbone (femur) articulates with the cavity (acetabulum) of the pelvic bone.

Sickle cell disease, a group of disorders that affect the hemoglobin or oxygen-carrying component of blood, causes avascular necrosis or the death of bone tissue in the hip due to lack of blood supply.

Avascular necrosis commonly affects the head of the femur. Necrosis leads to tiny cracks in the bone which finally causes the head of the femur to collapse. The condition causes pain due to increased pressure in the blood vessels of the bone marrow at the region of the necrosis.

Early stages of avascular necrosis can be treated by core decompression surgery, which reduces pressure, promotes blood flow and encourage healing of the bone.

Indications for Core Decompression

Core decompression is indicated in the early stages of avascular necrosis when the surface of the head is still smooth and round. It is done to prevent total hip replacement surgery, which is indicated for severe cases of avascular necrosis and involves the replacement of the hip joint with an artificial device or prosthesis.

Surgical Procedure

Core decompression is done under spinal or general anesthesia. The patient is placed on his/her back in a supine position. Live X-ray imaging or fluoroscopy is used to guide your surgeon during the procedure.

A small incision is made on your hip and a guidewire is passed from the incision through the neck of the femoral bone to the necrotic area in the femoral head. A hole is then drilled along the wire.
The necrotic bone is then removed. This reduces the pressure immediately and creates space for the new blood vessels to grow and nourish the existing bone.
The cavity that is left behind in the bone is sometimes filled with bone graft taken either from another part of your body or a cadaver. Sometimes, synthetic bone graft material is used.
The incision is then closed with sutures. Another variation of the same surgery involves drilling very small diameter holes from a single point. The surgical wound, in this case, is very small and may require only a single suture.

Postoperative Care

After the operation, crutches are to be used for 6 to 12 weeks to prevent weight- bearing at the hip joint until the femur bone heals completely. You will be able to resume your regular activities 3 months after the surgery.

Advantages

The advantages of core decompression include the following:

Prevents complications of collapse of the femoral head
Preserves bone of the femur
Delays the need for total hip replacement where the diseased femur head is replaced with an artificial prosthesis.

Risks and Complications

Fracture along the core track
Perforations in the femoral head
Deep vein thrombosis