The iliopsoas muscle pedicle bone graft: an experimental study of femoral head vascularity after subcapital fractures and hip dislocations.

Distal iliopsoas muscle pedicle bone graft was investigated in dogs to determine whether a collateral blood supply to the femoral head can develop after displaced femoral neck fractures and dislocation of the hip joint. Microangiography performed in cadavers showed good vascularity of the muscle pedicle graft and similar studies in dogs showed that when transferred to the anterior femoral neck, the iliopsoas muscle pedicle graft healed with an ingrowth of vessels across the graft site. Microangiographic and histologic studies in dogs showed that the procedure could maintain the vascularity and viability of the grafted femoral head. Consequently, an iliopsoas muscle pedicle bone graft can provide a vascular supply to a compromised femoral head and may be applied in both the prevention and treatment of avascular necrosis of the injured femoral head.