Diagnosis and Treatment of Femoral Head Osteonecrosis: A Protocol for Development of Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines

Introduction: There are many treatment options for patients who have osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) and management strategies vary widely both among within individual countries. Although researchers attempted to elucidate optimal managing this disease, lack large-scale randomized control trials agreement on disease staging curtailed development clear-cut guidelines. Materials Methods: The Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) group sought address three questions ONFH: 1) What imaging studies most sensitive specific diagnostic evaluation ONFH?; 2) is best strategy preventing progression in pre-collapse lesions?; 3) post-collapse disease? Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) format was used formulate search each research question. A systematic review will be performed according Preferred Reporting Items Systematic Reviews Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) ARCO participants been allocated groups, representing one PICO questions. After qualitative quantitative analysis data extracted from pertaining questions, a set evidence-based clinical practice guidelines proposed ONFH. Discussion: It not always clear which method Thus, surgeons developed various procedures based patient-specific factors. As there no consensus stages it that developing would provide more structure uniformity these patients. Therefore, results lead may improve patient-care result better outcomes