Apex Orthopedics often provides treatment for avascular necrosis (hip) in Kansas City.
What is Avascular necrosis?
Avascular necrosis, or AVN, can occur in any bone in the body, but most commonly appears in the hip. AVN occurs when a lack of blood supply to a bone causes bone tissue death. The medical term for this is osteonecrosis.
Because of the nature of AVN, often this disease leads to arthritis of the hip.
Who can get avascular necrosis of the hip in Kansas City?
Unfortunately, this can happen to anyone, but most commonly occurs in men between the ages of 35 to 60 and may present earlier in females.
Earlier on in the disease, most people do not have any severe symptoms. However, AVN is a progressive disease and will get worse as time goes on.
What are the symptoms of AVN?
Symptoms of worsening AVN include:
- painful when walking or general ambulation
- pain when putting pressure on your hip
- pain at night or when laying still.
This pain is most commonly found in the groin, but can also radiate to the buttocks, down the leg, or encompass your entire affected side. Eventually, if left untreated, AVN can cause complete bone collapse of the hip. This almost always results in severe pain and arthritis. AVN can be found on just one hip or on both sides of the body.
What causes avascular necrosis of the hip in Kansas City?
There are multiple causes of AVN, some of which include:
- trauma injuries, like those sustained in a car wreck
- radiation treatment for cancer
- excessive long-term use of steroids
- excessive alcohol
- fatty deposits that block blood vessels
- sickle cell anemia
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- HIV
- diabetes
- other specific medication conditions that can cause diminished blood flow
Still, there are many cases where the cause of AVN is unknown.
How is AVN diagnosed?
AVN is most commonly diagnosed using a physical exam in conjunction with X-ray. It can also be seen on MRI and CT scans.
Treatment for avascular necrosis – hip – in Kansas City
Once the diagnosis has been made, treatment for avascular necrosis (hip) in Kansas City is imperative. Oral medications, such as Aleve and other NSAIDs, may be used.
It may be necessary to walk with crutches, a cane, or a walker if the pain is severe enough.
We also recommend reducing your physical activity and stress on the affected joint.
Depending on the stage of AVN, physical therapy may be warranted.
As the disease progresses and become symptomatic, surgical intervention becomes the best option. This may include core decompression (removing the inside layer of the bone to reduce space and give extra space in the joint), a bony transplant, an osteotomy (reshaping the bone), or most commonly joint replacement.
A total hip arthroplasty is the only definitive treatment for AVN. The surgery that would be most beneficial is decided upon by the patient and the surgeon based on the severity of the disease, lifestyle, age and a variety of other factors.
What does AVN look like?
Please see the images below, AVN shows on X-ray by degeneration of the femoral head (or the “ball” loses its round shape) and starts to collapse.
KCOA can help.
We can prescribe medication and make suggestions on how to alleviate your pain and can even schedule physical therapy, if merited, to get you back to your best and strongest self.
Know that your goal is our goal.
We want to get you back outside in this beautiful weather doing what you love. If you are having hip problems or hip pain in Kansas City, please give our office a call and we’ll do everything we can to get you back to your tip-top shape, whether that’s 1 mile or 26.2.
