The effect of long-term methylprednisolone treatment on the femoral head in growing pigs.

The effect of long term steroid treatment on coagulation, intraosseous pressure (IOP), femoral head (FH) blood flow, and histology in the normal organism was investigated in this study in growing pigs. From 24 growing female Danish Landrace pigs from 12 litters, 12 animals daily received 100 mg methylprednisolone orally for three months. Their 12 sister pigs served as controls without steroid treatment. Prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen, and antithrombin III levels were recorded in jugular venous blood. Blood flow of the hip regions was measured by means of the radioactive microsphere technique. Metaphyseal and epiphyseal IOP of the left or right proximal femur were measured. Histomorphometry of the left or right FH epiphysis was performed. Major growth inhibition was found in the corticosteroid (CS) treated group. In CS pigs, aPTT was shortened to 50% compared to control pigs. Plasma fibrinogen was higher in the CS animals. Total FH blood flow was not different while regional blood flow in the cranial subregion of the FH epiphysis was higher in the CS group. Metaphyseal and epiphyseal IOP of the proximal femur were not different in the CS animals. Histomorphometrically, cancellous bone volume (23 +/- 1% vs. 34 +/- 2%; p < 0.001) and bone turnover (10 +/- 2% vs. 55 +/- 8%; p < 0.001) of the FH epiphysis was lowerin the CS than in the control group. The FH epiphysis of the CS animals invariably showed an irregular cartilage-bone interface with cartilaginous projections into the subchondral bone mainly in its cranial part. In normal growing pigs, long term high dose CS treatment has induced a hypercoagulable state of plasma via the intrinsic pathway of coagulation, cartilaginous projections into FH subchondral bone, FH osteopenia, and reduced bone turnover. Long-term steroid treatment did not produce FH necrosis or FH IOP alterations in the immature pig model.