Advertisement for orthosearch.org.uk
Results 1 - 1 of 1
Results per page:
The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery British Volume
Vol. 86-B, Issue 8 | Pages 1209 - 1213
1 Nov 2004
Calder JDF Buttery L Revell PA Pearse M Polak JM

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head usually affects young individuals and is responsible for up to 12% of total hip arthroplasties. The underlying pathophysiology of the death of the bone cells remains uncertain. We have investigated nitric oxide mediated apoptosis as a potential mechanism and found that steroid- and alcohol-induced osteonecrosis is accompanied by widespread apoptosis of osteoblasts and osteocytes. Certain drugs or their metabolites may have a direct cytotoxic effect on cancellous bone of the femoral head leading to apoptosis rather than purely necrosis.