Repair of non-traumatic femoral head necrosis by marrow core decompression with bone grafting and porous tantalum rod implantation

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effects of marrow core decompression with bone grafting and marrow core decompression with porous tantalum rod implantation in treating avascular necrosis of non-traumatic femoral head. METHODS: This prospective study selected 60 patients (74 hips) with avascular necrosis of femoral head admitted to Daping Hospital from January 2018 to March 2019. According to treatment methods, the 60 patients were randomly divided into two groups, i.e. 30 patients in one group were treated by marrow core decompression with bone grafting, and the other 30 patients in the other group were treated with marrow core decompression and porous tantalum rod implantation. RESULTS: All implantation treatments were successful. No significant difference was found in surgical duration, hemorrhage volume and duration of hospitalization stay between the two groups during follow-up. All Harris scores were significantly improved (P<0.05) following treatment compared to those before treatment. The Harris score of patients treated with porous tantalum rod implantation was higher than that of patients treated with bone grafting (P<0.05) after 12 months following treatment and such a difference was significant. CONCLUSION: The combination of marrow core decompression and porous tantalum rod implantation can better improve the functions of hip joints with early femoral head necrosis than marrow core decompression with bone grafting, and can also prevent articular cartilage from collapsing gradually.