Loss of sympathetic nerve fibers in vital intertrochanteric bone cylinders lateral to osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Objectives: Although etiology in osteonecrosis of the femoral head mainly depends on alterations of bone blood flow, vasoregulatory nerve fibers of the sympathetic and sensory nervous system have never been investigated in bone of osteonecrosis patients. This study aimed to demonstrate density of sympathetic and sensory nerve fibers in femoral head and, for comparison, adjacent periosteum, and synovium of the hip joint in patients with osteonecrosis.

Methods: Immunofluorescence staining techniques were applied using specific nerve fiber markers.