We observed ultrasonographic blood flow findings of the nutritional artery of the recollapsed femoral head in patients with osteonecrosis treated by transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy of the femoral head. Between July 1998 and September 2000, the nutritional artery of 26 hips (23 patients) were observed intraoperatively by ultrasonography. After rotating the femoral head, the nutritional artery was checked by ultrasonography in fibrofatty tissue beneath divided quadratus femoris muscle seven times while changing the angle of hip flexion. The patients consisted of 16 males and seven females with a mean age of 41 years (age range: 23 to 60 years). Recollapsed femoral head was identified in five (19%) of the 26 patients after one year or more followup. The hips of the recollapsed femoral head confirmed ultrasonographic flow at an average of one (range: 0 to 3 times), and the hips without recollapsed femoral heads demonstrated a mean four times (range: 2 to 7 times). There was significant difference between with and without recollapse. We conclude that ultrasonographic findings of the nutritional artery is helpful for assessing the short-term results of hips treated by transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy of the femoral head.
