Early Histopathological Findings of Avascular Necrosis in Rabbits with Experimental Displaced Fractures of The Femoral Neck

Abstract

Early Histopathological Findings of Avascular Necrosis in Rabbits with Experimental Displaced Fractures of The Femoral Neck Avascular necrosis of the femoral head can be caused by a variety of conditions but the main cause is displaced fractures of the femoral neck. This study investigates the importance of timing in treating these. Displaced femoral neck fractures were produced in a rabbit model and early histopathological sings of avascular necrosis were investigated. Seven groups of rabbits were formed, each group containing six subjects. The right femoral necks were osteotomized in each subject. At the postoperative sixth hour and first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth days, both femoral heads were removed for histopathological investigation. The earliest irreversible cellular changes leading to avascular necrosis were noted in the first day group and it was noted that avascular necrosis progressed each postoperative day. It has previously been suggested that the treatment modality for displaced femoral neck fractures is early reduction and internal fixation. The findings in this study suggest that these procedures should be performed during the first 24 hours.