激素性股骨头坏死（SONFH）是一种由于长期大剂量使用糖皮质激素引起的股骨头缺血性疾病，具有高发病率和严重的致残风险，其发病机制复杂，尚未完全阐明，而且临床工作中SONFH的早期诊断较为困难。而环状RNA（circRNA）作为一类非编码RNA，在SONFH的发生、发展及诊疗中展现出重要作用。随着研究的深入，人们发现circRNA通过竞争性内源RNA（ceRNA）机制调控基因表达，影响成骨细胞和破骨细胞的分化，进而干预骨代谢平衡。特定circRNA的异常表达在SONFH患者血液或骨组织中被发现，这为其作为潜在的诊断生物标志物提供了依据，也有望成为新的治疗靶点。本文通过总结circRNA在SONFH中的研究进展，重点探讨其表达调控机制、生物学功能及作为诊断标志物和治疗靶点的潜力，为SONFH的早期诊断和治疗提供新的思路。

Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) is an ischemic necrotic bone disease caused by long-term use of glucocorticoids, characterized by a high incidence rate and severe disability risk. Its pathogenesis is complex, and early diagnosis remains challenging. Circular RNA (circRNA), a novel class of non-coding RNA, has been shown to play a significant role in the occurrence, progression, and clinical management of SONFH. With ongoing research, circRNAs have been found to regulate gene expression through the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism, affecting the differentiation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, thereby modulating bone metabolism. Abnormal expression of specific circRNAs has been identified in the blood or bone tissue of SONFH patients, providing a basis for their potential use as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This review summarized the recent research progress on circRNAs in SONFH, focusing on their regulatory mechanisms, biological functions, and potential as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets, offering new insights into the early diagnosis and treatment of SONFH.