Femoral head grossing

This article covers femoral head grossing. Femoral heads are relatively common specimens.

Femoral heads in general are covered in the article femoral head.

Introduction

Common diagnoses:

• Osteoarthritis - usually in older individuals, may occur in younger individuals in the setting of previous trauma.
• Fracture - usually secondary to osteoporosis - in older individuals.

Less common diagnoses:

• Pathologic fracture, i.e. fracture due to malignant neoplasm.
• Avascular necrosis - usually in younger individuals, classically associated with steroid use.

Protocol

Specimen: femoral head.

• Laterality: [left/right].
• Dimensions:
  • Head (along axis of neck x depth x width): ___ x ___ x ___ cm.
  • Neck (length x depth x width): ___ x ___ x ___ cm.
  • Cartilage thickness: ___ to ___ cm.
• Shape of head: [round/irregular].
• Neck resection margin: [cut/irregular].
• Articular surface: [smooth/irregular/separated from underlying bone/eburnated].
• Other findings: [none/osteophytes/synovial hyperplasia].
• Cut surface findings: [none/subchondral cysts/subchondral sclerosis/osteophytes].
• Other tissue: [none/joint capsule and surround tissue - measuring ___ x ___ x ___ cm].

Representative section(s) submitted from:

• Articular surface and underlying bone.
• Scrappings from the resection margin (if no fracture).
• Scrappings from the fracture site.
• Surrounding tissue.

See also

• Avasular necrosis of the femoral head (flickr.com).
• Pathologic facture (utah.edu).