Total hip arthroplasty in secondary systemic lupus erythematosus femoral head avascular necrosis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multisystem disease with a large spectrum of clinical manifestations and a variable course. Lupus is marked by both humoral and cellular immunologic abnormalities, including multiple auto-antibodies especially anti DNA antibodies. Epidemiology - female predominance, occurring usually between second and fourth decade of life, more frequently in hispanic and black patients. Family predominance has been noticed. Provocative agents - ultraviolet light, viral infections, drugs and situational stresses. Pathogenesis - pathological features can affect a large spectrum of internal organs and systems - osteoarticulary injuries, skin rash, lymphadenopathy, glomerulonephritis, myocarditis, digestive system lesions. Musculo skeletal abnormalities include migratory arthritis, effusion and stiffness in small and large joints. Articular erosions are uncommon. Skeletal abnormalities include osteopenia and osteonecrosis, due to two pathological mechanisms: vasculitis and long term corticotherapy. Fifteen to twenty percent of SLE patients are affected by femoral head avascular necrosis (FHAN). Diagnosis rests on clinical signs - hip pain, limited range of motion, walking with a limp.; radiological findings - best grouped in Arlet-Ficat standing system; MRI - high sensitivity, especially in infraradiological stages. Treatment - in incipient stages core decompression represents the best therapeutical option. In advanced, arthritis stages, total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the standart treatment. Three implant types are available: bipolar, uncemented and cemented. An increased number of cotyloidites occurred after bipolar implants. Emphasised osteopenia and excessive bleeding represent contraindications for uncemented implants. Considering all of this, cemented implants are considered, the right choice, methacrylate cement providing strong and durable fixation of THA implants to bone. No meaningful differences were observed in postoperative functional recovery between LSE patients and other etiology FHAN patients.