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Descriptive and Analytic Epidemiology of Idiopathic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head in Japan

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Epidemiological Studies of Specified Rare and Intractable Disease

Abstract

Idiopathic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a rare and multifactorial disease, which involves noninfectious and ischemic pathogenesis. ONFH has been designated as one of the targeted intractable diseases by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan and its medical cost for treatment has been subsidized by public expenditure. Together with these policies, the epidemiology of ONFH in Japan has also been systematically elucidated by the Study Group on ONFH with academic support from the Study Group on Epidemiologic Research for Intractable Diseases (ERID), both of which are funded by the MHLW. This chapter summarizes the findings of descriptive and analytic epidemiology on ONFH which have been accumulated through collaborative efforts of the ONFH Study Group and the ERID Study Group. Methodologies in these epidemiologic studies include a nationwide epidemiologic survey and a hospital-based sentinel monitoring system to assess frequency and distribution of ONFH. Furthermore, case-control and cohort studies have been conducted to evaluate systemic steroid use and alcohol intake as two major risk factors for ONFH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan

    Wakaba Fukushima

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  1. Wakaba Fukushima
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Correspondence to Wakaba Fukushima .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. St. Mary’s College, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan

    Masakazu Washio

  2. Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan

    Gen Kobashi

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Fukushima, W. (2019). Descriptive and Analytic Epidemiology of Idiopathic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head in Japan. In: Washio, M., Kobashi, G. (eds) Epidemiological Studies of Specified Rare and Intractable Disease. Current Topics in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1096-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1096-6_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-1096-6

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