We investigated the preliminary results of femoral head necrosis treated by modified femoral neck osteotomy through surgical hip dislocation in young adults.

33 patients with femoral head osteonecrosis received modified femoral neck osteotomy through surgical hip dislocation from March 2015. 14 patients who had minimal 12 months of follow-up were reviewed radiographically and clinically (mean follow-up:16 months, 12–36 months). The mean age of the patients 32 years at the time of surgery (ranged from 16 to 42years). There were 6 women and 8 men. The cause of the osteonecrosis was steroid administration in 6, alcohol abuse in 4, trauma in 3, and no apparent risk factor in 1. According to the Ficat staging system, 1 hips was stage II, 9 hips III, and 4 hips stage IV. The posterior or anterior rotational angle was 90–180° with a mean of 143°. Clinical evaluation was performed in terms of pain, walk and range of motion on the basis of Merle d'Aubigné hip scores: 17–18 points are excellent, 15–16 are good, 13–14 are fair, 12 or less are poor.

Recollapse of the final follow-up anteroposterior radiograph was prevented in 13 hips. One patient got 1 mm recollapse 18 months after surgery. No patient got progressive joint space narrowing. The Merle d'Aubigné score was excellent in 7 hips, good in 5, fair in 2.

The preliminary results suggest that modified femoral neck osteotomy through surgical hip dislocation is in favor of young patients. But longer term follow-up is necessary.