Macrophage response in patients diagnosed with aseptic necrosis of the femoral head presenting different risk factors

Abstract

Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head is a condition caused by partial or total interruption of blood supply to the femoral head. The diminished blood supply causes necrosis of the cellular elements and of the bone marrow, followed by the collapse of the bone structure, events that ultimately lead to the destruction of the bone tissue, the appearance of local pain and loss of function in the affected coxofemoral joint. The importance of this condition is that it mainly affects young adults aged 30-50 years, active from a socio-professional standpoint, and increased life expectancy. The material studied to achieve CD68 immunostaining was represented by bone fragments from the area of necrosis and from the adjacent areas of the femoral heads, harvested from 39 patients when performing hip arthroplasty surgery. The patients were diagnosed with aseptic necrosis of the femoral head and hospitalized in the Clinic of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Emergency County Hospital of Craiova, Romania, from June 2014 to January 2015. The 39 patients included in the study were divided into four categories according to presented risk factors (alcohol, alcohol and smoking, trauma, corticosteroids). All the 39 cases had positive immunostaining for CD68, macrophage being highlighted both in the area of necrosis and in the adjacent areas. We noted significant differences in the number and arrangement of macrophages in patients presenting different risk factors. The highest number of macrophages was present in patients presenting a risk factor corticosteroids, and the lowest number of macrophages was found in patients who had trauma as the main risk factor.