Abstract
Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a complex pathologic process with many aetiological factors. Factors most often mentioned in the literature are mechanical disruption (hip trauma or surgery), steroid use, smoking, haemoglobinopathies and hyperlipidaemia.1 Our case depicts a rare association of crack cocaine related to osteonecrosis of the femoral head which has never been reported in the available literature.
Case Report: A 32 year old man was referred to our Orthopaedic clinic with right hip pain. He had a 9 pack-year history of cigarette smoking and had also smoked crack cocaine between ages 20 to 28; shortly after this the hip pain started. He denied antecedent injury. He had undergone a steroid injection into his right ankle abroad for swelling one year before referral, which was after onset of hip pain. MRI of his hip previously performed abroad had been normal. The patient had an indoor job and was otherwise fit and well. On examination he had reduced of movement in his right hip with 5–10 degrees of fixed flexion deformity. Plain radiography demonstrated cyst formation and sclerosis of both femoral heads. Repeat MRI confirmed bilateral osteonecrosis, worse on the right with risk of head collapse. The patient underwent bilateral core decompressions. Subsequent follow-up demonstrated a mobile patient with no need for arthroplasty and he was discharged after two years.
Osteonecrosis is caused by the coagulation of the intra-osseous microcirculation leading to thrombosis formation and eventual reduction in osseous blood supply. Steroid use is associated with increased risk of osteonecrosis to the femoral head, however in these cases the patients often undergo either direct local or systemic infiltration of steroid. In this case steroid was administered after symptoms began to a far distant site and therefore cannot be the cause. Cigarette smoking is also known to cause osteonecrosis. Our patient had smoked cigarettes for fourteen years without problems, and it was after he ceased to smoke crack cocaine that his symptoms began. Cocaine blocks voltage-gated sodium-channels causing vasospasm. It is known to cause nasal and facial bone osteonecrosis due to its common intranasal method of delivery.
We postulate that in this case crack cocaine was a synergistic factor towards development of femoral head osteonecrosis.
