Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Prevention of distortion of vascular deprivation-induced osteonecrosis of the rat femoral head by treatment with alendronate

  • Basic Science
  • Published:
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

In animals with a disrupted blood supply and drainage of the femoral head, the dead epiphyseal bone undergoes osteoclastic osteolysis and is replaced by newly synthesized, immature, and weak bone, which cannot withstand the daily loads and, therefore, the articular surface caves in.

Methods

Female Sprague–Dawley rats with interrupted blood circulation of the femoral head were treated with alendronate and compared to controls.

Results

There was no distortion of the femoral heads in the alendronate-treated animals.

Interpretation

Alendronate medication interferes with osteoclastic activities, slowing down bone turnover. These observations verify our hypothesis that osteoclastic activity is detrimental to the conservation of a hemispherical femoral head because of the rapidly occurring replacement of the dead by living tissues. Hence, halting the activities of the osteoclasts by alendronate stops the hasty new bone formation which is responsible for early femoral capital disfigurement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Agarwala S, Sule A, Pai BU, Joshi VR (2002) Alendronate in the treatment of avascular necrosis of the hip. Rheumatology 41:346–347

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Åstrand J, Aspenberg P (2002) Systemic alendronate prevents resorption of necrotic bone during revascularization. A bone chamber study in rats. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 3:19–22

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Åstrand J, Aspenberg P (2002) Reduction of instability-induced bone resorption using bisphosphonates. High doses are needed in rats. Acta Orthop Scand 73:24–30

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bejar J, Misselevich I, Peled E, Zinman C, Reis DN, Boss JH (2005) Pyogenic granuloma-like reaction in the necrotic, vessels-deprived femoral head of the rat. Exp Mol Pathol 78(2):140–143

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Boss JH, Misselevich I (2001) Review: experimental avascular osteonecrosis. Curr Orthop 15:57–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Boss JH, Misselevich I, Bejar J, Norman D, Zinman C, Reis DN (2004) Experimentally gained insight-based proposal apropos the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Med Hypotheses 62:958–965

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Boss JH, Misselevich I, Norman D, Zinman C (2004) Giant-cell reparative granuloma-like lesion in the femoral heads of rats during the early repair phase of osteonecrosis. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 14:7–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Davi H, Tronquet C, Caix J, Simiand J, Briot C, Berger Y, Thiercelin JF (1999) Disposition of tiludronate (Skelid) in animals. Xenobiotica 29:1017–1031

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gardeniers JWM (1988) Behaviour of normal, avascular and revascularizing cancellous bone. Catholic University of Nijmegen, Monography, Nijmegen

  10. Levin D, Norman D, Zinman C, Misselevich I, Reis NR, Boss JH (1999) Osteoarthritis-like disorder in rats with vascular deprivation-induced necrosis of the femoral head. Pathol Res Pract 195:637–642

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Levin D, Norman D, Zinman C, Rubinstein L, Sabo E, Misselevich I, Reis D, Boss JH (1999) Treatment of experimental avascular necrosis of the femoral head with hyperbaric oxygen in rats: histological evaluation of the femoral heads during the early phase of the reparative process. Exp Mol Path 67:99–108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Norman D, Miller Y, Sabo E, Misselevich I, Peskin B, Zinman C, Levin D, Reis DN, Boss JH (2002) The effects of enoxaparin on the reparative processes in experimental osteonecrosis of the femoral head of the rat. APMIS 110:221–228

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Norman D, Reis D, Zinman C, Misselevich I, Boss JH (1998) Vascular deprivation-induced necrosis of the femoral head of the rat. An experimental model of avascular necrosis in the skeletally immature individual or Legg-Perthes disease. Int J Exp Pathol 79:173–181

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Parks NL, Engh GA (1997) The Ranawat Award. Histology of nine structural bone grafts used in total knee arthroplasty. Clin Orthop 345:17–23

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Peskin B, Shupak A, Levin D, Zinman C, Norman D, Misselevich I, Reis DN, Boss JH (2001) Chondrolysis in rats with vascular deprivation-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 11:15–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Peskin B, Shupak A, Misselevich I, Zinman C, Levin D, Jacob Z, Reis DN, Boss JH (2001) Transphyseal osseous bridges in experimental osteonecrosis of the femoral head of the rat. Histologic study of the bony bridges connecting the epiphyseal with the metaphyseal bony trabeculae through gaps in the physeal cartilage. J Pediatr Orthop 10B:214–218

    Google Scholar 

  17. Reszka AA, Rodan GA (2004) Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate mechanism of action. Mini Rev Med Chem 4:711–719

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Swiontkowski MF, Tepic S, Rahn BA, Cordey J, Perren SM (1993) The effect of fracture on femoral head blood flow. Osteonecrosis and revascularization studied in miniature swine. Acta Orthop Scand 64:196–202

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eli Peled.

Additional information

Jochanan H. Boss is deceased.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peled, E., Bejar, J., Zinman, C. et al. Prevention of distortion of vascular deprivation-induced osteonecrosis of the rat femoral head by treatment with alendronate. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 129, 275–279 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-008-0656-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-008-0656-0

Keywords

Navigation