To observe the viability of blood flow and revascularization and pathological change after ligating different blood vessels supplying femoral head and to provide basis of choosing different treatment of avascular necrosis of femoral head (ANFH)

the medial and lateral femoral circumflex arteries of rabbits were ligated for different groups. Group A ligated both medial and lateral femoral circumflex arteries; Group B ligated the medial femoral circumflex arteries; and Group C ligated the lateral femoral circumflex arteries. All rabbits were given an injection of 99mTc-MDP of 37 MBq via anterior auricular veins before the operation. The radioactive counts of experimental femoral head (Ehead)

experimental femoral shaft (Eshaft)

control femoral head (Chead) and control femoral shaft (Cshaft) of rabbits were measured by SPECT in the 2 h

3 d

1 w (week)

4 w and 8 w after operation. The results show that ① Ehead/Chead is 1.020±0.063 and Chead/Cshaft is 2.72. ②Ehead/Chead and Ehead/Eshaft of groups A and B decreased distinctly. The blood supply was reestablished in 1—8 weeks after the operation. No significant difference was found between these two groups (P>0.05). ③Ehead/Chead and Ehead/Eshaft of group C decreased indistinctivly. The blood supply was reestablished after the postoperative at 3 d and the ratio increased indistinctly. Significant difference was found between group C and group A or B (P<0.05). It is concluded that the medial femoral circumflex artery is the main blood vessel supplying the femoral head

and the quantitative analysis of 99mTc-MDP bone imaging is a good method to evaluate the ANFH.