[Study of circulating fatty globules by filtration of the serum in primary osteonecrosis of the femoral head].

The authors carried out in a group of 21 aseptic osteonecroses of the femoral head, a study of circulating fatty globules using a filtering technique on a millipore filter. 7 of these patients showed a normal lipid count, 10 had isolated increases of the prebetalipoproteins, 2 had a type IV hyperlipemia, 1 a type III hyperlipemia, and 1 a global hypolipemia. In all cases, no fatty globules were found. Decreases in the level of triglycerides and prebetalipoproteins were noted after filtering but the differences were not significant. These observations do not add support to the theory of fatty microembolism of aseptic osteonecrosis of the femoral head.