Aseptic bone necrosis

The post-traumatic and vascular necrosis of broken bones were studied in rabbits. AFter experimental traumatization and vascular lesion a similar type of necrosis was encountered. There were, however, differences in the distribution of the necrotic areas and in the position of the fracture-line. In the case of post-traumatic necrosis the fracture line was situated at the border of the intact and the necrosed tissue, whereas in vascular necrosis of secondarily broken bones it was found in the necrobiotic area. Surveying morphometrically the distribution of necrotic areas it was observed that in traumatic necrosis large fields occur on either side of the fracture-line which retained in 95% the nuclear staining of their osteocytes while in vascular necrosis such areas were not seen. On this basis traumatic and vascular necrosis can be differentiated provided the sample is taken from the surroundings of the fracture-line.