SCINTIGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF TRANSTROCHANTERIC ROTATIONAL OSTEOTOMY FOR OSTEONECROSIS OF THE FEMORAL-HEAD - COMPARISON BETWEEN SCINTIGRAPHY,RADIOGRAPHY AND OUTCOME IN 34 PATIENTS

Scintigrams and radiographs of 36 femoral heads in 34 patients before and after Sugioka's transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy for osteone crosis of the femoral head were investigated prospectively. Patients w ere followed for more than 3 years after the operation. The patterns o f early scintigrams made within 3 months of the operation were classif ied into four categories. All 4 patients with a large cold area eviden ced collapse within 1 year despite good recovery of the weight-bearing surfaces immediately after operation on conventional radiograms. Twen ty-two hips with no cold area in the femoral head did not demonstrate collapse. Femoral head collapse after rotational osteotomy can be pred icted by early postoperative bone scintigraphy.