Avascular Necrosis AVN and Corticosteroids
Tampa, Saint Petersburg and Clearwater, Fl
Avascular Necrosis (AVN) can be seen with trauma, may be idiopathic or of unknown etiology, or seen with disease states. The association with corticosteroid use (cortisone) is nebulous. It has a definite increased risk after taking cortisone compounds, yet is hard to pin down who and when it may occur. It occurs more frequently with high doses, especially intravenous administration. Steroid treated asthma or pulmonary conditions, and autoimmune disorders such as Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) are often seen with high dose steroid use.
However, it is not clear why certain individuals treated with corticosteroids get AVN while others do not. It is best to use caution when treating with high dose cortisone and be attentive to possible early indications of avascular necrosis (AVN) to be preemptive of secondary degenerative arthritis changes associated with AVN. Regenerative medicine treatments such as Stem Cell Therapy have been used to treat Avascular necrosis (AVN). Early measures may be more effective in preventing joint collapse and the need for total joint replacement.
Dennis M. Lox, MD, serves patients in the greater Tampa Bay area, including, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tampa, New Port Richey, Sarasota, Orlando and Spring Hill. He has been pleased to accommodate the needs of patients throughout Florida, the United States, the Western Hemisphere, and Europe, as well. Located in the 33765 area, our office can be reached at (727) 462-5582.