{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:10:22Z","timestamp":1760058622184,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,14]],"date-time":"2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744588800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Femoral head avascular necrosis (FAN) is a serious orthopedic disorder that causes the death of bone tissue as the outcome of the occlusion or insufficiency of the vessels supplying blood to the femoral head. It is especially common in middle-aged men. Factors such as alcohol consumption, corticosteroid use, trauma, and systemic diseases have influential roles in the development of FAN, and the ensuing vascular disruptions can also negatively affect the patient\u2019s broader systemic vascular health. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition caused by an impairment in penile blood flow, which reduces quality of life in men and has psychosocial effects. This study examined the potential relationship between FAN and ED in consideration of the similar pathophysiological mechanisms of these conditions. Methods: The research was planned as a retrospective case\u2013control study and conducted between January 2020 and December 2023. FAN was diagnosed based on the Ficat\u2013Arlet classification using plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging, and staging was performed with expert clinical evaluations. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scale was administered to evaluate ED. Data from 50 patients with FAN and 50 healthy men were evaluated using appropriate statistical methods, including univariate comparisons and correlation analysis. Results: The analysis demonstrated a significant association between increasing FAN stages and greater severity of erectile dysfunction (ED). ED was identified in 35 out of 50 patients in the FAN group (70%), compared to 15 out of 50 individuals in the control group (30%). This difference was statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05), indicating a substantially higher prevalence of ED in patients with FAN. A significant negative correlation was also observed between the FAN stage and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores (Spearman\u2019s rho = \u22120.631; p = 0.001). The mean IIEF score was 23.4 in patients with FAN stage 1, which declined to 9.6 in those with stage 4, reflecting a marked deterioration in erectile function with advancing FAN stages. No statistically significant difference was found in the age distribution between the FAN and control groups (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that, with the progression of FAN, systemic vascular deterioration affects penile blood flow, increasing the severity of ED. This finding highlights the common pathophysiological mechanisms of FAN and ED and reveals the importance of early diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment approaches. This relationship should be examined in detail with larger samples and prospective designs in future studies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14082674","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,14]],"date-time":"2025-04-14T06:18:36Z","timestamp":1744611516000},"page":"2674","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Relationship Between Femoral Head Avascular Necrosis and Erectile Dysfunction: A Retrospective Case\u2013Control Study Conducted in T\u00fcrkiye"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3709-558X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ekrem","family":"\u00d6zdemir","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Erzurum City Hospital, 25240 Erzurum, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ahmet Alper","family":"\u00d6zde\u015f","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, Karako\u00e7an State Hospital, 23600 Elaz\u0131\u011f, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fatih Emre","family":"Topsakal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Erzurum City Hospital, 25240 Erzurum, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nasuhi","family":"Altay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Erzurum City Hospital, 25240 Erzurum, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"H\u00fcseyin Utku","family":"\u00d6zde\u015f","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, \u0130n\u00f6n\u00fc University Faculty of Medicine, 44280 Malatya, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Esra","family":"Demirel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Erzurum City Hospital, 25240 Erzurum, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"S56","article-title":"Abnormal vascular endothelial growth factor expression in mesenchymal stem cells from both osteonecrotic and osteoarthritic hips","volume":"69","author":"Mwale","year":"2011","journal-title":"Bull. 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