The clinicopathologic findings of a subchondral insufficiency fracture of the femoral head in a male patient: a case report

There are few reports describing the clinicopathologic characteristics of subchondral insufficiency fractures of the femoral head (SIF) in men over 50 years of age. A 59-year-old man experienced a sudden onset of the left hip pain without any antecedent trauma. The hip pain did not improve despite conservative treatments, and he underwent a total hip arthroplasty. The mid-coronal cut section of the resected femoral head revealed a fracture line paralleling the subchondral bone endplate beneath the articular cartilage. In addition, the subchondral fracture broadly underlaid the weight bearing area of the femoral head. Histopathologically, reparative tissue including fracture callus and granulation tissue, as well as thin disconnected bone trabeculae were observed. These clinicopathological findings were similar to those of previously described SIF in women. It is therefore important to consider SIF in cases of acute hip pain, even in middle-aged men.