Hip Decay

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head is also called osteonecrosis (decay). Osteonecrosis is a painful disease of the hip joint. It occurs when the blood supply to the hip joint is impaired. In the absence of blood supply, bone cells die and the hip joint calcifies rapidly.
Osteonecrosis is also called avascular necrosis or aseptic necrosis. This disease can occur in any bone but most commonly in the hip joint. In many patients, both hip joints are involved.

What causes hip decay?
It occurs as a result of reduced blood flow to the ball of the thigh. In the absence of adequate blood supply, the cartilage tissues in the ball of the thigh die and the head quickly collapses. As a result, the cartilage disappears, resulting in rapid calcification between the knob and the socket.

Injury – Hip dislocation can impair femoral head circulation.
Alcoholism
Long-term Corticostroid use
Other medical conditions; diseases such as Kashan’s disease, sickle cell anemia, vasculitis
Injury – Hip dislocation can impair femoral head circulation.
Alcoholism
Long-term Corticostroid use
Other medical conditions; diseases such as Kashan’s disease, sickle cell anemia, vasculitis
Hip decay affects people of all ages, but most commonly occurs between the ages of 40 and 60. It is more common in men than in women.

What are the symptoms of hip decay?Osteoarthrosis has various stages. Hip pain is usually the first symptom. This leads to blunt and throbbing pain in the groin area and thigh. As the disease progresses, standing becomes difficult, moving the hip and walking becomes painful. It takes between 3 months and 1 year for the disease to progress seriously. Good results can be achieved with early diagnosis of this disease.

How is hip decay diagnosed?
Imaging Methods
X-ray: It evaluates the bone structure well. It gives good information about the amount and degree of collapse of the hip knob.

MRI: X-rays may not show early osteonecrosis. However, MRI will give detailed information about the bone structure or femoral knob in the early stages. Scintigraphy should be performed for staging blood supply.

Treatment of hip decay

Non-operative treatment options;

medicine,
not giving the load with crutches,
Rest,
ozone treatments can slow the progression of the disease in stage 1 or early stage and reduce pain and successful results can be obtained.

There are successful reports especially with ozone therapy. Surgical intervention should be considered in advanced stage patients.

Core Decompression

With this treatment method, channels are opened from the side of the femur to the femoral head to increase the blood flow to the femoral knob and reduce the pressure there. These channels increase the blood flow to the femoral head, allowing it to be nourished and the tissue to regenerate itself.
This treatment method is very successful if osteonecrosis is caught at an early stage. Core decompression surgery can be supplemented with bone grafts to help the bone structure regenerate itself.

Vascular Fibula Grafting
Another treatment option is to remove the fibula bone from the side of the leg with veins and transplant it into the hip joint. This graft is placed in a large canal prepared in the femoral knob.

Hip Prosthesis
If the hip joint has collapsed and osteonecrosis has progressed, total hip replacement is a very successful treatment. This treatment increases hip joint mobility and eliminates pain. It is the most successful of all treatments.

Conclusion
Core decompression therapy can prevent the formation of severe calcification of the hip joint, but despite this treatment, 25% to 85% of patients will require total hip replacement, depending on the progression and stage of the disease and the amount of collapse.
In the early stages, core decompression treatment results are successful. In many cases, bone blood flow increases and bone healing improves after core decompression. The treatment process takes several months, during which time the patient should not load the hip and should use a walker or crutches.
After a successful chorea decompression, it takes an average of 3 months to walk unassisted. However, if the disease nevertheless progresses and collapse develops, hip replacement surgery is a successful treatment option that should be considered. Click here to read my hip replacement article