Osteonecrosis, also known as avascular necrosis, occurs when the blood supply to a bone is cut off. The bone tissue dies, leading first to tiny breaks and ultimately to the total collapse of the bone. The most common place affected is the head of the femur, which can cause hip pain.
Causes
There are two categories of osteonecrosis--traumatic and nontraumatic. Traumatic is the most common, caused by an injury such as a fracture. Nontraumatic is not associated with an injury, and can be caused by disease.
Risk Factors
Osteonecrosis affects men and women. Any age group can develop the disease, but people in their 30s, 40s and 50s are the most commonly afflicted.
Symptoms
Early stages of osteonecrosis might not exhibit any symptoms. As the disease progresses, however, tiny fractures occur more often, resulting in pain when moving. Eventually the bone collapses, producing pain even while resting.
Diagnosis
Since a host of conditions can cause pain, your doctor might want to take some X-rays and MRI scans in order to get an accurate picture of your bone health.
Treatment
Medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs or pain relievers are available to treat the symptoms of osteonecrosis, while surgery can slow or stop the progression in its early stages.
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