Aseptic Necrosis
(Avascular Necrosis or Osteonecrosis)
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Catherine Burt Driver, MD
Catherine Burt Driver, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Driver is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She currently is in active practice in the field of rheumatology in Mission Viejo, Calif., where she is a partner in Mission Internal Medical Group.
- Aseptic necrosis facts
- What is aseptic necrosis?
- What causes aseptic necrosis?
- What are risk factors for aseptic necrosis?
- What are symptoms of aseptic necrosis?
- How is aseptic necrosis diagnosed?
- What is the treatment for aseptic necrosis?
- What is the prognosis of aseptic necrosis?
- Can aseptic necrosis be prevented?
Aseptic necrosis facts
- Aseptic necrosis is a bone condition that results from poor blood supply to an area of bone, causing localized bone death.
- Aseptic necrosis can be caused by trauma, damage to the blood vessels that supply bone its oxygen, poor blood circulation to the bone, abnormally thick blood (hypercoagulable state), and atherosclerosis or inflammation of the blood vessel walls (vasculitis).
- Steroid medications (cortisone, such as prednisone [Deltasone, Liquid Pred] and methylprednisolone [Medrol, Depo-Medrol]) are the most common medications to cause aseptic necrosis.
- Risk factors for aseptic necrosis include alcoholism, cortisone medications, Cushing's syndrome, radiation exposure, sickle cell disease, pancreatitis, Gaucher disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Aseptic necrosis may or may not cause pain.
- The treatment of aseptic necrosis is critically dependent on the stage of the condition.
What is aseptic necrosis?
Aseptic necrosis is a bone condition that results from poor blood supply to an area of bone, causing localized bone death. This is a serious condition because the dead areas of bone do not function normally, are weakened, and can collapse. Aseptic necrosis is also referred to as avascular necrosis or osteonecrosis.
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