Patho-histological Studies on Bone Necrosis of Femoral Head

Ten femoral heads (diver's disease: 1, caisson disease: 1, the idiopathic: 2, the steroid therapeutic: 2, the post-traumatic: 4) were obtained from the patients. To observe the changes of the osteocyte, the undecalcified sections were prepared.In the cases of idiopathic necrosis, the necrotic change of the osteocyte and the bone marrow was severe and it prevailed to almost all parts of the head. In the cases of steroid therapy, there could be found a wide spreading dystrophy of the osteocyte, but no remarkable changes in the bone marrow. The circumscribed osteocyte death resulting from the repairing of the pre-existing lesion were found in the case of the diver's, the caisson and the post-traumatic bone necrosis.