Pain in the hip may be a harbinger of avascular necrosis

Making statements about hip avascular necrosis, Medipol Mega University Hospital Orthopedics and Traumatology Department Head Prof. Dr. İbrahim Azboy said, “Over time, pain increases, limitation of movement develops and the patient begins to have difficulty walking. The patient even has difficulty in putting on his socks and tying his laces, and his daily functions are limited over time.

“The danger of avascular necrosis in long-term cortisone use”

Azboy said that attention should be paid to long-term use of cortisone in the formation of avascular necrosis disease, "Cortisone is a very useful drug used in the treatment of many diseases. However, in some patients, long-term use of cortisone may lead to avascular necrosis. Alcohol use, some blood diseases and hip fractures can cause this disease. In the diagnosis of avascular necrosis, the diagnosis is made with direct radiographs and MRI in the early period. If there is no collapse or cascading in the joint in the early period of the disease, we prefer hyperbaric oxygen therapy and drugs that prevent bone destruction. Surgically, we evacuate the damaged area in the bone, which we call core decompression, and apply a bone graft and or stem cell to that area and apply a rescuing intervention to the hip. The success rate in core decompression and stem cell applications is around 60 percent. We apply total hip prosthesis in patients who have not been successful with this method and who develop joint collapse or calcification. With total hip prosthesis, patients can successfully get rid of their pain and have a mobile joint. He added that the success rate in hip replacement is around 90 percent.

Average 30 years of safe use

Expressing that the hip replacement was accepted by the World Health Organization as the most successful surgical intervention of the last century, Azboy concluded his words as follows:

“With the developments in implant technology, our patients can safely use the prostheses placed on their hips for 25 to 35 years and return to all their functions. They take walks at the distance they desire and continue their lives in an active and healthy way. We allow patients to stand up, walk, step, immediately after hip replacement surgery. Patients can return to their daily functions in a short time. We let them drive after a month. We allow them to return to work in an average of two to three months. The prosthesis consists of four parts. In the following years, when there is wear on the prosthesis, it is possible to replace the worn part. Hip pain should be taken seriously and an orthopedic specialist should be consulted as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and effective treatment with appropriate methods are the keys to the success of the process.”