Impaction Bone Grafting Augmented With a Wire Coil by the Lightbulb Technique for Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

Background: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a debilitating disease that primarily affects the hips of young adults. The purpose of this study is to report the mid-term results of impaction bone grafting augmented with a wire coil using the lightbulb technique for ONFH. Methods: From 1998 to 2016, 50 hips with late precollapsed or early postcollapsed ONFH (28 hips with Association Research Circulation Osseous [ARCO] IIC and 22 with IIIA) were treated by impaction bone grafting augmented with a wire coil using the lightbulb technique. The survival rate was analyzed with conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) as the end point. Results: Thirty-one of the 50 hips had a successful clinical result without conversion to THA at a mean follow-up of 109.2 months. The 5-year survival rate was 68%, 82.1%, and 50% for the entire cohort, ARCO stage IIC, and ARCO stage IIIA, respectively. The 19 hips that had failed were converted to THA at an average of 52.8 months. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model showed that an ARCO stage IIIA disease, a lateral lesion, and a necrotic index ≥0.67 were the independent risk factors for conversion to THA. Conclusion: As a head-preserving procedure, the lightbulb technique using impaction bone grafting augmented with a wire coil is worthwhile for patients in an earlier stage of disease and smaller lesion size to postpone the need for THA.