We have evaluated bone-marrow activity in the proximal femur of patients with corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis and compared it with that of patients with osteonecrosis related to sickle-cell disease and with a control group without osteonecrosis. Bone marrow was obtained by puncture of the femoral head outside the area of necrosis and in the intertrochanteric region. The activity of stromal cells was assessed by culturing fibroblast colony-forming units (FCFUs).

We found a decrease in the number of FCFUs outside the area of osteonecrosis in the upper end of the femur of patients with corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis compared with the other groups.

We suggest that glucocorticosteroids may also have an adverse effect on bone by decreasing the number of progenitors. The possible relevance of this finding to osteonecrosis is discussed.