Avascular Necrosis of the Hip means erosion of the head of the femur due to the interruption of blood circulation to it, which leads to the death of its tissues and flattening, losing its roundness, and the joint becomes rough, which increases the severity of the pain when moving the joint.

Symptoms of AVN of the hip joint

  • Joint pain when moving and at rest.
  • lower back pain.
  • Limited range of motion of the joint, such as the patient cannot fully bend the joint, or place his affected leg on the other.
  • Ankle and knee pain due to stiffness in joint movement.
  • Limbing is the result of limited range of motion and weakness of the muscles surrounding the joint.

Causes of AVN of the hip joint

Ischemia of the femoral head is due to the following reasons:

  • Fractures of the neck of the femur.
  • Long-term use of cortisol medications (cortisone(.
  • Sickle cell anemia, which is a hereditary disease in which red blood cells appear in a sickle or crescent shape, different from their normal shape and thus become more viscous, which obstructs blood flow in small blood vessels.
  • Immune diseases that affect blood vessels, such as lupus.
  • Some cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy, which weakens bone and damages blood vessels.
  • Excessive alcohol consumption, which leads to the accumulation of fat on the walls of blood vessels over time, causing them to narrow and poor blood flow through them.

Diagnosis of AVN of the hip joint

The surgeon diagnoses the disease by clinical examination of the joint’s range of motion, in addition to performing X-ray, CT, or MRI.

Treatment of AVN of the hip joint

  AVN of the hip joint can be treated in several ways, the most important of which are:

  • Non-surgical treatment

Non-surgical treatment (conservative treatment) aims to reduce pain and includes:

  • Take anti-inflammatory medications.
  • Taking medications to increase blood flow.
  • natural therapy.
  • Quit drinking alcohol.
  • Stop taking cortisol.
  • Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment is divided into two types:

  • Drilling and femoral head, which aims to increase the blood supply to the head of the femur in early cases of the disease.
  • Replacing the joint with an artificial one, to treat advanced cases of the disease.

We invite you to consult Dr. Ibrahim Gado – Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon – when you notice any of the above symptoms to avoid developing complications of necrotic wear of the hip joint.

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