Abstract:[Objective] To explore the clinical efficacy of arthroscopic debridement and drilling decompression combined with postop- erative extracorporeal shock wave therapy for early- stage femoral head necrosis. [Methods] A retrospective study was done on a total of 422 adult patients (642 hips) who received treatment for early-stage femoral head necrosis in our hospital from January 2010 to January 2018. All the patients underwent hip arthroscopic debridement and drilling decompression of the femoral head, and then extracorporeal shockwave therapy postoperatively. [Results] All the 422 patients (642 hips) were successfully operated on without serious complications during perioperative period, and with no obvious adverse reactions during ESW treatment. The follow-up period lasted for more than 24 months. Of them, 16 patients (18 hips) turned to receive total hip arthroplasty due to femoral head collapse in 8~24 months after primary op- eration, with an average of (14.33±6.21) months, accounting for 2.84%. From time point preoperatively to 12 months postoperatively, the VAS scores in resting state and during walking were significantly decreased (P<0.05) , while flexion-extension ROM, internal-external rota- tion ROM and adduction- abduction ROM, as well as Harris score significantly increased (P<0.05) . However, the improvements in the above item had slight loss at the latest follow-up compared with those at 12 months postoperatively, whereas which were not statistically sig- nificant (P>0.05) . Radiographically, significant improvements were noticed in terms of ARCO classification, femoral head bone edema, and intraarticular effusion from the time preoperatively to 12 months postoperatively (P<0.05) , whereas the T?nnis classification remained un- changed (P>0.05) . However, there were no significant changes in these imaging parameters at the latest follow-up compared with those at 12 months postoperatively (P>0.05) . [Conclusion] The arthroscopic debridement and drilling decompression combined with postoperative shock wave therapy might reverse in some extent, or delay the progression of femoral head necrosis, do achieve satisfactory clinical out- comes.