Evaluation Of Short Term Effects Of Hyperbaric Oxygen And Enoxaparin Treatments In Avascular Necrosis Of Femoral Head

ABSTRACT

Aim: Avascular necrosis of the femoral head (AVN) is the necrosis of the bone and the bone marrow resulting from the injury or the occlusion of the blood supplying vessels of the femoral head. Specially it is seen in mostly young and middle aged individuals and requiring mostly surgical procedures. Despite all advances in the surgical procedures, still a high rate of the hip prosthesis is a requirement in the treatment. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) alone or in combination with surgery is reported to be effective in some clinical AVN cases. HBOT is also a treatment method which is used in ischemic diseases resulting from vascular injuries or occlusions. Enoxaparin is an antagonist of factor Xa which is found in the coagulation system. Beside its anticoagulant effect it has been shown that it has an osteopenic effect, inhibits osteoblast maturation and increases osteoclast activity in the bone.

Material and Methods: In this study effects of enoxaparin and HBOT were investigated in the treatment of experimentally formed AVN of the femoral heads of the rats. For this purpose, avascular necrosis model was applied to the left femoral heads of 64 rats and the results of the treatments alone and together were investigated.

Results: In this study results have shown that an increase in the new bone formation, and remodelisation with less changes in the cartilage tissue than in the controls. An increase in the necrotic tissue clearing rate observed in the HBOT applied groups. The best results were achieved with the HBOT and enoxaparin combined applications.

Conclusion: In this study HBOT alone, enoxaparin alone or combination of these two treatments have a positive effect in the experimental femoral head AVN and supporting the clinical studies in the femoral head AVN.

Keywords: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, avascular necrosis, enoxaparin