Everyone Healthy Library
Avascular Necrosis
Also Known As: Osteonecrosis
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
! Seek urgent medical care if warning signs appear
Some health conditions or symptoms can become urgent. Use this page for education, but seek help quickly if warning signs are present.
Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
- collapse, fainting, seizure, confusion or extreme drowsiness
- severe bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood or major injury
- severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face/throat or widespread rash with breathing trouble
- severe abdominal pain, severe headache, stiff neck or sudden vision change
- signs of severe dehydration, sepsis, high fever with worsening illness, or symptoms in a baby/young child that concern you
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
4Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
0No linked drugs are listed yet.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
24Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Medical therapy
10- ArthroplastyWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Arthroplasty or HemiarthroplastyWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Bone Core DecompressionWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Bone Reshaping (Osteotomy)Weakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Bone Transplant (Graft)Weakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- DebridementWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Free Vascular Fibular Graft (FVFG)Weakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Joint ImmobilizationWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- OsteotomyWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Total Joint ReplacementWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
Lifestyle changes
2Behavioural changes
2Alternative and complementary therapies
1Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
7These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
Biological markers/agents
8This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
7- Alpha-2-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.6–1 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- EosinophilsReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–3 %; 0–3 %Linked diagnostic testsDifferential White Blood Cell Count Tests, Eosinophil Differential Of Total WBC
- Erythrocyte Sedimentation RateReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 0–20 mm/Hr; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 0–15 mm/HrLinked diagnostic testserythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
- haptoglobin (Hp)Reference range example45–200 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testshaptoglobin (Hp) concentration
- Histidine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 500–7,300 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 5,000–16,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Segmented NeutrophilsReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 50–62 %; Adult ( > 16y): 2,500–8,000 mm3Linked diagnostic testsDifferential White Blood Cell Count Tests, Neutrophil Absolute Count
- White Blood Cell (WBC)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 4.5–10.5 million/mL; Adult ( > 16y): 3.2–10 million/mLLinked diagnostic testsWhite Blood Cell (WBC) Count
Often decreased
1Introduction / full article
Avascular Necrosis
Avascular Necrosis
Avascular necrosis (otherwise known as osteonecrosis) is the death of a bone segment due to inadequate blood supply. In the absence of blood, the bone’s tissue dies, leading to its collapse. This can occur either due to an injury or spontaneously. In the latter case, it is often the result of a blockage in the artery which feeds the area.
The condition is characterised by pain in the affected joint, and a subsequently limited range of its motion. The incidence of avascular necrosis has been linked to smoking, and excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs.