Data confirms that every year more than tens of thousands of patients are diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis (AVN) in India & 50% of the Total Hip Replacement Surgeries in India are performed due to the breakdown of the hip joint caused by Avascular Necrosis. AVN mostly affects the Hip Joint of males between the age group of 21 to 50 years. However, more than 70% of the total AVN patients fall in the age group of 20 to 40 years. Avascular Necrosis (AVN), if left untreated, collapses the joint within 2 years and necessitates the need for Total Joint Replacement Surgery. We will focus on the Avascular Necrosis of The Hip Joint in this article as the hip joint is crucial in supporting the body weight and is highly susceptible to AVN.

In our last blog, we discussed Bone Structure & Avascular Necrosis of Bone. Just for your quick review, bones in the human body are living tissues and they need regular blood supply. Sometimes, certain factors cause the blood supply to the bones to be interrupted which leads to Avascular Necrosis (AVN) or Osteonecrosis. In this blog, we focus on the various causes and symptoms of AVN, and the best treatment for Avascular Necrosis (AVN) to prevent Replacement Surgery. To know more about Avascular Necrosis (AVN), Causes of AVN, Symptoms of AVN, and Treatment of AVN, hit the play button on the video below.

What Causes Avascular Necrosis?

There are certain risk factors that can interrupt the blood supply to the bones which in turn causes Avascular Necrosis. The most common reasons of AVN are the following:

1) Use of steroids in any form like medicine, drugs, etc.

2) Excessive consumption of alcohol

3) Regular or heavy smoking

4) Trauma or accident

5) Blood disorders like Sickle Cell Anemia

6) Post chemotherapy

7) Idiopathic means no identified reason

Symptoms of Avascular Necrosis

For any patient suffering from Avascular Necrosis, early detection of the disease is the most important factor to restore the functions of the hip joint and to avoid replacement surgery. The early symptoms of AVN include

1) Swelling & Infection at the affected joint

2) Stiffness at the affected joint

3) Pain at the affected joint

4) Limp while walking

5) Severe immobility

6) Inability to bend and tie a shoelace or wear a sock

Diagnosis of AVN

In most cases, patients who notice the above-mentioned symptoms either try to manage their pain by taking some painkillers or visiting their family physician who prescribes oral medication to treat the pain temporarily. In fact, this delays the actual diagnosis of the hip pain and causes the progression of the undiagnosed Avascular Necrosis in the hip joint. Accurate and early diagnosis of Avascular Necrosis (AVN) plays the most vital role in the treatment as well as in the prevention of the threat of Hip Replacement Surgery. Hence, if you notice any of the above mentioned symptoms, you should visit an Orthopedic Doctor immediately. For the detailed investigation of the disease, doctors usually rely on the following two:

1) X-Ray Scans

2) MRI

Stages of Avascular Necrosis

Avascular Necrosis or AVN is briefly classified into 4 different stages i.e. Stage I, Stage II, Stage III & Stage IV. While stages I & II are considered as early stages of AVN, Stages III & IV are respectively considered as mid & advanced Stages. It is possible to preserve your hip joint in the early stages of AVN, but in the advanced stage, Hip Replacement Surgery or the respective Joint Replacement Surgery is the only option. Depending on the diagnosis and investigation from the XRay Scans or MRI, the doctor recommends the course of treatment of Avascular Necrosis which could be either Surgical or Non- Surgical. To understand the effectiveness of various treatments for Avascular Necrosis (AVN), we have conducted a survey, and over 125+ renowned Orthopedic Surgeons and AVN Experts participated in this survey (Click here to check the survey reports).

Non-Surgical Treatment of Avascular Necrosis (AVN) includes medicines like bisphosphonates, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and physical therapy or physiotherapy sessions. Study shows that non-surgical treatment of AVN can help patients to relieve or manage their pain but are not effective enough to stop the disease progression in most cases. Hence, surgical intervention is required for the Treatment of AVN. Surgical treatment of AVN includes Core Decompression Surgery, Osteotomy, Partial / Total Hip Replacement Surgery, and Bone Cell Therapy.

Core Decompression Surgery

Core Decompression is the most common choice of treatment used today. It is a procedure in which the doctor drills into the hip and removes the dead bone to release the pressure so the blood supply can be restored. However, 60% of Orthopedic Surgeons believe that the success rate of Core Decompression Surgery is up to 50% only. We have conducted a survey and the results of the survey tell that 88% of the Orthopedic Doctors who participated in that survey, believe that the clinical outcome of Core Decompression Surgery is unpredictable and does not benefit the patients in the long term.

Total Hip Replacement Surgery or Partial Replacement Surgery

Total or Partial Joint Replacement Surgery is often recommended for patients in the advanced stage. In this surgery, the surgeon cuts the infected/dead bone and then installs an artificial joint. Total Hip Replacement Surgery or Partial replacement Surgery always comes with some restrictions in movement and hence even after the replacement surgery, patients can not resume their daily natural activities which they used to do with the natural hip joint. One biggest drawback of Joint Replacement Surgery is that it has a limited shelf-life and the patient needs to replace the artificial joint after every 10-12 years depending on their daily activities.

Avascular Necrosis Treatment - Bone cell therapy

Bone Cell Therapy for AVN is a highly advanced and scientifically proven treatment for AVN. The efficacy of Bone Cell Therapy is more than 90%. Bone Cell Therapy is a two-step procedure in which the doctor first extracts the Bone-Marrow sample of the patient and the marrow is sent to the laboratory where tissue engineers separate the osteoblasts, also known as bone-forming cells, from the bone marrow sample and then expand it. The expansion process is known as the cell culture process. Once the bone-forming cells are cultured, they are sent to the doctor. In the second step, the doctor removes the dead bone cells using the Core Decompression method and then injects the cultured bone-forming cells. The advantage of this procedure is that the injected bone-forming cells lead to the formation of 3-D new bone at the affected joint and allows the blood vessels to supply the blood again resulting in the restoration of the natural joint. Regrow Biosciences – an Indian Biotechnology is the World’s First & Only Biotech Company to offer Bone Cell Therapy Treatment that received the Orphan Drug Designation Award from US-FDA & EMA, Europe. To date, OSSGROW® - The Bone Cell Therapy To Cure Avascular Necrosis (AVN) by Regrow Biosciences, has helped more than 1300+ patients to preserve their joints and resume their active lives. To understand the Bone Cell Therapy Procedure in detail, please watch the below video.