ISSN: 2577-297X
Authors: Itha R* and Ravali RS
Background: A prevalent condition in hip joint surgery is osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). The blood supply to the femoral head is damaged or disrupted for a variety of reasons, which is followed by a succession of pathological alterations and ultimately irreversible destruction of the hip joint. The disease SARS COVID 19 itself and the treatment of the condition with corticosteroids may cause ONFH. Various treatment methods have been described in literature depending on the stage of disease process. Purpose and Methods: The purpose of this review paper is to provide up to date details of the clinical evaluation, current diagnostic tools, and treatment modalities. We shall also mention a special note on the COVID 19. We reviewed several articles in the literature (Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar) on this topic especially the mechanism of injury, diagnosis, and treatment methods to produce a review article. Conclusion: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is caused by many conditions which ultimately cause the disruption of blood supply to the femoral head. The treatment methods vary with stage of the disease. The early stages can be managed with conservative methods and hip preserving surgeries whereas late stage condition with advanced osteoarthritis requires arthroplasty. The early recognition by clinical and radiological features the progression is reversed or slowed down. The high usage of corticosteroids during COVID 19 and its association with ONFH is a warning sign for the judicious usage of the same in future.
Keywords: Osteonecrosis; Avascular; COVID; Arthroplasty; Core Decompression; Stem Cell
