Hip replacement, Although it can occur in any bone, AVN most often affects the hip. More than 20,000 people each year enter hospitals for treatment of AVN of the hip. In most of the cases, both hips are affected by the disease.
Anatomy
Your hip is a ball and socket type joint. The socket is made by the acetabulum, which is part of the large pelvic bone. The ball of joint is the femoral head, which is the upper end of your thighbone.
The surface of the ball and socket is covered with cartilage, a smooth, slippery substance that protects the bones and enables them to glide smoothly across each other.
Causes of AVN [Hip Replacement]
- Steroids intake
- Traumatic injury or accident to hip joint
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Chemotherapy for cancer
Idiopathic- most common type where exact cause can not be established
Symptoms of AVN Hip
- Pain and Stiffness around the hip joint.
- Limited range of motion
- Difficulty in walking or climbing stairs due to the pain
- Pain while sleeping and getting up from bed.
- Inability to bend forward or tie shoelaces.
Doctor Examination [Hip Replacement]
You need to tell your symptoms and medical history to doctor.
Your doctor will examine your hip to discover which specific movement cause your pain.
Patients with AVN often have severe pain in the hip joint but relatively good range of motion. This happens because only the femoral head is involved in the earlier stages of the disease. Later, as the surface of the femoral head collapses, the entire hip joint becomes arthritic. Loss of movement and stiffness can then develop.
Investigations
Imaging studies will help to confirm the diagnosis.
X-rays
X-rays provide images of dense structures, such as bone. They are used to determine whether the bone in the femoral head has collapsed and to what degree.
(Left) An X-ray of a healthy hip joint. (Right) In this X-ray, AVN has progressed to collapse of the femoral head.
MRI SCAN
Early changes in the bone that may not show up on an X-ray can be detected with an MRI scan.
This is used to evaluate how much of the bone is affected by the disease.
An MRI may also show early AVN that has yet to cause symptoms (for example — AVN that may be developing in the opposite hip joint).
MRI scan shows AVN in a patient’s right hip (white arrow). The dark line (red arrows) denotes the border between dead bone and live bone. The patient’s left hip is normal.
Available Treatment Options
- Non-surgical treatments like medicines including non-approved one step procedures relieve the pain but don’t cease the disease progressio.
- Core Decompression removes the dead bone but does not help in new bone formation.
- Disease progression leads to Total Hip Replacement Surgery which severely restrics from daily activities.
- Implanted Hip have a short shelf life & needs to be replaced again after 20 to 25 years.
Permanent Treatment of AVN
- Progression of AVN can be stopped if diagnosed and treatment starts at an early stage.
- Stem Cell therapy stops disease progression & cures AVN permanently.
- In this procedure dead bone is removed and bone cells are injected which develops healthy bone again.
- Osteoblast Cells for these treatments are developed at the FDA approved R&D Lab of Regrow® in india.
Benefits of Osteoblast Stem cellls OSSGROW®
- Cure AVN permanently.
- Targeted & personalized bone regrowth therapy.
- Blood supply supports growth of new bone.
- Patient returns to active normal life with restored mobility.
- Eliminates need of Total Hip Replacement Surgery.
- Covered under ESIC, CGHS and Private Health Insurance.
