A prospective cohort study of the clinical presentation of non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head: spine and knee symptoms as clinical presentation of hip osteonecrosis

Abstract

Purpose

To study the clinical presentation of femoral head osteonecrosis (ONFH). Publications dedicated to this aspect of ONFH are rare. Our aim was to systematically collect and describe the clinical data.

Methods

A prospective survey was conducted in a cohort of ONFH recruited from a dedicated clinic for osteonecrosis. The history of symptoms, medical management, and physical findings were obtained from 88 patients suffering from 125 ONFH. Subgroups were formed: bilateral versus unilateral ONFH, radiological stages 1–2 (pre-fractured) versus fractured stage 3 versus stage 4.

Results

ONFH was bilateral in 63 %, especially in corticosteroid users and in sickle-cell cases. These patients were younger but had similar BMIs compared to the unilateral cases. The pain was mechanical in 79 % of hips and inflammatory in 21 %. Acute pain at the onset was present in 55 % of hips. The localization of this pain was variable, including in the groin, the buttocks, or diffused in the lower limbs. A limp was present in 50 % of the patients, only when one hip was painful. The physical examination of the hip was normal in 31 %, especially in stages 1–2 (55 %). The diagnosis delay was 12 months, with inadequate medical management in 51 % of patients.

Conclusions

In ONFH cases, no typical clinical pattern was found. The clinical presentation was very variable, sometimes having spine or knee symptoms with a normal physical examination of the hip. ONFH should be systematically suspected in cases of onset of pain in the pelvis, buttocks, groin, and lower limbs.