Anatomo-histological study on the perifoveolar irrigation of the femur head in pigs (Sus scrofa)

Abstract

The irrigation of the perifoveolar region in the femoral head, has been the aim of some anatomo-clinic studies in the belief that it would suffer aseptic necrosis by the section of the ligament from the femoral head and from its relating vessels.

In order to clarify the above hypothesis an anatomo-histological study was performed on a 3 months old, 30 kg pig specimen (Sus scrofa). This consisted in a surgical sectioning of the femur head ligament and its enclosing arteries, which were also ligated in order to observe nutrition at the perifoveolar head level. After 92 days, with the specimen weigthing 83 kg, it was sacrificed and samples from the ligament and femur head closer to the fovea were taken.

It was not possible to observe histopatological alterations or necrosis in the insert area of the ligament of the femoral head and adjacent areas, in the compact bone or in the spongy substances. Histological alterations in the articular cartilage were not observed either. Instead, a moderate fibrosis at the distal extremity of the ligament in the femoral head was noticed. Signs of active mineralization were shown in the bony counterfoil. The side control did not present histopatologic alterations.

Through this study the irrigation of the femoral head in a pig specimen was proved to be minimal and perhaps non existent.