INDEX
What is Osteonecrosis?
Who's at risk?
First Symptoms
Diagnosis
Prevention
Treatment
     The concept of Risk/Benefit Ratio
     Extent of disease
     Progression of the disease    
     Non-Surgical Treatment
          Protected weight bearing
     Surgical Treatment
          Core Decompression
          Bone Grafting
          Vascularized Bone Grafting
          Osteotomy
          Femoral Head Resurfacing
          Femoral Head Replacement
          Total Hip Replacement
          Future Directions
         
WHAT IS OSTEONECROSIS?
You have been given this brochure either because you or some member of your family has been diagnosed with osteonecrosis (ON).  ON is not particularly common, afflicting approximately 20,000 new patients per year in the U.S.  However, patients are relatively young, with an average age of 38 (although any age can be affected).  Since the diagnosis does not affect longevity there are several hundred thousand patients in the U.S. alone who are living with the disease.  The purpose of this pamphlet is to provide you with information to help you understand the condition and some of the important issues with treatment.

What is osteonecrosis?  The term literally means death of bone (osteo = bone, necrosis = death).  It has been known by a number of other names including ischemic necrosis of bone, aseptic necrosis and AVN (standing for avascular necrosis).  AVN has been quite popular in its use because it is shorter to say and write.  More recently the term ON has been adopted.

ON can affect virtually any bone, but for practical purposes most cases involve only the hip, knee shoulder or ankle joints in decreasing order of frequency.  In fact, ON of the hip accounts for more than 90% of the cases.



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