Abstract
We report a case of femoral head necrosis after surgery for trochanteric fracture. The patient was an 85-year-old man who had sustained the fracture in a fall. We performed osteosynthesis for the fracture. Left coxalgia occurred 8 months later. At 9 months after the operation, collapse of the femoral head was observed. Bipolar head arthroplasty was performed 14 months postoperatively. Pathological examination of the femoral head indicated osteonecrosis. Other reports have suggested that the causes of osteonecrosis are initial high-energy trauma combined with basal neck fracture and iatrogenic damage to the blood supply of the femoral head. High-energy trauma with fracture displacement that had disrupted the blood supply to the femoral head may have been the major factor contributing to the femoral head necrosis in the present case.
