Avascular Necrosis or Osseous Necrosis

What is avascular necrosis?

Avascular necrosis, also called osseous necrosis, is the death of bone tissue due to lack of blood flow. Bones need blood flow to grow and stay healthy, and if the flow of blood is interrupted, the bone may fail to develop normally or die. When it dies, it can collapse and lead to pain, arthritis, and the need for joint replacement surgery at a young age.

Avascular necrosis (AVN) can affect any bone in the body, most commonly the knees and hips.

What can cause avascular necrosis?

• Trauma or injury, such as a dislocated joint, can damage nearby blood vessels.
• Taking high doses of steroids.
• Cancer treatments involving radiation can harm blood vessels and weaken bones.
• Some medical conditions, such as sickle cell disease, can impede blood flow to the bones.

What are the symptoms of avascular necrosis?

Some people with avascular necrosis have no symptoms early on. As the condition worsens, many people feel pain, first when putting weight on the affected joint, and later, even when lying down. In more advanced cases, the bone may also start to feel like it’s catching or grinding.

How do we treat avascular necrosis at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health?

When avascular necrosis is caught early enough, we can treat it and attempt to prevent bone collapse. We use minimally invasive surgical techniques to implant bone and cartilage and restore the health of bloodless areas of the bone, reducing the risk of collapse and helping the bone resume its normal growth.

Our doctors and researchers are working to learn more about what causes AVN and discover new ways to treat it.