Dr. Amit Kumar Agarwal further noted the causes, symptoms and treatments and their effectiveness in treating AVN. Take a look: READ ALSO: What is vascular necrosis or bone death, a new complication after Covid? Causes: Although the immediate causes of AVN have not yet been determined, it is usually caused by a hip fracture, excessive alcohol and tobacco use, chemotherapy and radiation, and certain medical conditions such as sickle cell disease, lymphoma and leukemia. However, AVN cases have increased since the onset of the covid-19 pandemic and the most likely cause is said to be steroid use. After Covid-19, the age group of 20 to 40 years is particularly vulnerable to the development of a severe type of AVN bone disease with rapid progression to total destruction. Symptoms: “AVN is also known as silent disease, as the symptoms remain absent until a large part of the hip is involved. Any joint in the body can be affected, but AVN mainly affects the hip joints. 80% of AVN cases occur in both hip joints (left and right). The AVN of the hip develops stiffness reducing the mobility of the hip joint, there is a point of pain in the groin area and the buttocks that radiate to the knees. “Common symptoms associated with AVN are difficulty walking, crouching, sitting on the ground, limping while walking, and decreased hip movement,” said Dr. Amit Kumar Agarwal. Treatment: Depending on the stage and severity of the disease, treatments are recommended. There are a number of surgical and non-surgical treatments available to treat AVN. They are: Non-surgical approach: In the first step of treatment, painkillers may be prescribed. However. They do not help in the form of bone formation. Physiotherapy and rest are also recommended to reduce joint pain. However, none of these can be addressed directly to AVN. Surgical approach: There are a number of surgical approaches available – further divided into hip maintenance and replacement options. (A) Core decompression: In this case of surgery, the doctor opens a small hole in the damaged bone to increase the blood supply. However, this surgical approach is associated with a significant risk of failure. (B) Bone Cell Therapy: This treatment involves extracting healthy stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow and culturing bone cells and then injecting them into the patient’s hip joint through a small keyhole procedure. (C) Total hip replacement: “In this replacement surgery, the doctor cuts the bone of the hip joint and replaces it with a metal ball and socket. “This procedure is appropriate in the advanced stages (stage 4) of AVN when the shape of the ball has changed,” said Dr. Amit Kumar Agarwal.
