A novel mouse trauma model for osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
4 affiliations
- 1World Premier Institute Immunology Frontier Research Center, The University of Osaka, Suita 565-0871, Japan.
- 2Department of Signal Transduction, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, The University of Osaka, Suita 565-0871, Japan.
- 3Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), The University of Osaka, Suita 565-0871, Japan.
- 4Centre for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), The University of Osaka, Suita 565-0871, Japan.
Abstract
Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a devastating condition characterized by the disruption of vascular supply, progressive bone degeneration, and eventual collapse of the femoral head. While corticosteroid- and alcohol-induced ONFH models are well established, a reliable trauma-induced ONFH model in mice has not been previously described. However, traumatic ONFH is commonly seen in clinical settings-such as following FN fracture, dislocation, or hip trauma-but remains poorly understood at the mechanistic level due to a lack of appropriate small-animal models. To address this gap, we established and validated a novel, reproducible trauma-induced ONFH model in C57BL/6 mice. Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice (n = 45) underwent surgical disruption in the left hip, while the right hip served as an internal control. Mice were sacrificed 1-12 wk post-surgery at 2-wk intervals. Gross morphological changes, trabecular bone loss, and histological features, such as marrow adiposity, empty osteocyte lacunae, and myeloid cell infiltration, were observed over time, indicating ONFH development. Histological analyses demonstrated decreased glycosaminoglycan content, suggesting cartilage degeneration, and increased empty osteocyte lacunae in the operated femoral heads. Immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated fragmentation of CD31- and endomucsin (EMCN)-positive vessels, vascular invasion into cartilage and growth plate, and dynamic changes in vascular architecture accompanying trabecular bone degeneration. The knowledge gained from this reproducible trauma-induced ONFH model, which mimics key features of human disease, provides a valuable platform for mechanistic studies of vascular dysfunction, cartilage degeneration, and bone remodeling, and may facilitate the development of early diagnostic markers and novel therapeutic strategies for osteonecrosis.
Related
- Total Hip Arthroplasty for Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Following Allogeneic Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, with Graft-Versus-Host Disease as a Candidate Effect Modifier: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Femoral Head-Preserving Porous Tantalum Implantation for Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Conversion to Total Hip Arthroplasty, Radiographic Progression, and Modes of Failure.
- Atraumatic Subcapital Femoral Neck Fracture as the Initial Presentation of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: A Case-Based Systematic Review.
- Intestinal Epithelial Piezo1–Serotonin Signaling Contributes to Vascular Injury in Steroid-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head
- Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Spheroids as an Emerging Regenerative Strategy for Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head
BibTeX
@article{bal2026novel,
title = {{A novel mouse trauma model for osteonecrosis of the femoral head.}},
author = {Zeynep Bal and Yukika Tanabe and Fitriana Nur Rahmawati and Man Wang and Faya Nuralda Sitompul and Ru Su and Nobuyuki Takakura},
journal = {JBMR plus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1093/jbmrpl/ziag135},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42846606},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A novel mouse trauma model for osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
AU - Zeynep Bal
AU - Yukika Tanabe
AU - Fitriana Nur Rahmawati
AU - Man Wang
AU - Faya Nuralda Sitompul
AU - Ru Su
AU - Nobuyuki Takakura
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
JO - JBMR plus
DO - 10.1093/jbmrpl/ziag135
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42846606
AB - Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a devastating condition characterized by the disruption of vascular supply, progressive bone degeneration, and eventual collapse of the femoral head. While corticosteroid- and alcohol-induced ONFH models are well established, a reliable trauma-induced ONFH model in mice has not been previously described. However, traumatic ONFH is commonly seen in clinical settings-such as following FN fracture, dislocation, or hip trauma-but remains poorly understood at the mechanistic level due to a lack of appropriate small-animal models. To address this gap, we established and validated a novel, reproducible trauma-induced ONFH model in C57BL/6 mice. Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice (n = 45) underwent surgical disruption in the left hip, while the right hip served as an internal control. Mice were sacrificed 1-12 wk post-surgery at 2-wk intervals. Gross morphological changes, trabecular bone loss, and histological features, such as marrow adiposity, empty osteocyte lacunae, and myeloid cell infiltration, were observed over time, indicating ONFH development. Histological analyses demonstrated decreased glycosaminoglycan content, suggesting cartilage degeneration, and increased empty osteocyte lacunae in the operated femoral heads. Immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated fragmentation of CD31- and endomucsin (EMCN)-positive vessels, vascular invasion into cartilage and growth plate, and dynamic changes in vascular architecture accompanying trabecular bone degeneration. The knowledge gained from this reproducible trauma-induced ONFH model, which mimics key features of human disease, provides a valuable platform for mechanistic studies of vascular dysfunction, cartilage degeneration, and bone remodeling, and may facilitate the development of early diagnostic markers and novel therapeutic strategies for osteonecrosis.
SN - 2473-4039
ER -