# Core decompression assisted by multi-functional minimally invasive instruments for the treatment of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head

## TL;DR

A new set of surgical tools improves core decompression for early osteonecrosis of the femoral head by making the procedure faster, less invasive, and more efficient.

## Contribution

Development and evaluation of multi-functional surgical instruments that enhance core decompression efficiency and patient outcomes for early ONFH.

## Key findings

- Multi-functional instruments reduced fluoroscopy use, operation time, blood loss, and incision size compared to traditional methods.
- New instruments allowed for reuse of healthy bone and improved patient satisfaction and clinical scores post-surgery.
- The tools enabled accurate necrotic area targeting, effective decompression, and efficient implant delivery.

## Abstract

Core decompression is a common method for treating early osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). However, the surgical procedure is cumbersome due to the lack of appropriate surgical instruments. This study aims to modify surgical instruments to improve surgery efficiency. A total of 28 patients with early ONFH treated with the core decompression were enrolled. 13 cases were treated with new instruments and the other 15 cases were treated with the traditional methods. The convenience of the new instruments was evaluated by comparing evaluation indicators. The multi-functional instruments reduced the number of fluoroscopy, shorted the operation time, improved the delivery efficiency, reduced the intraoperative blood loss, and reduced the surgical incision compared with the traditional method (p < 0.05). The new instruments removed the healthy bone of the femoral head and neck for reuse, the overall hospitalization cost was lower, and patient satisfaction was higher (p < 0.05). In the postoperative follow-up, the VAS was lower and Harris score was higher compared with the traditional group (p < 0.05). The multi-functional instruments can achieve the advantages of accurate positioning of the necrotic area, removed and reused healthy bone, effective expanded decompression, and efficient implant delivery, which is the effective instrument for the early ONFH.