What Is Avascular Necrosis of the Hip (AVN)?
Avascular necrosis is a disease resulting from the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to the bones. Without a blood supply, the bone tissue dies and this causes the bone to collapse. If the process involves a bone near a joint, it often leads to collapse of the joint surface. This disease also is known as osteonecrosis, aseptic necrosis, and ischemic bone necrosis. (Anatomic Picture AVN) Although it can happen in any bone, avascular necrosis most commonly affects the ends of long bones such as the femur, the bone extending from the knee joint to the hip joint. The disease may affect just one bone, more than one bone at the same time, or more than one bone at different times. Avascular necrosis usually affects people between 30 and 50 years of age; about 10,000 to 20,000 people develop avascular necrosis each year. The amount of disability that results from avascular necrosis depends on what part of the bone is affected, how large an area is involved, and how effectively th
