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Who is at high risk for osteonecrosis? These shocking statistics may not be known to you!
Osteonecrosis, also called osteonecrosis or bone infarction, is the death of bone tissue due to interruption of blood supply. This condition may have no noticeable symptoms in its early stages, and over time, patients may experience progressively worsening joint pain that limits their ability to move. According to recent reports, there are approximately 15,000 cases of osteonecrosis in the United States each year, and adults between the ages of 30 and 50 are the most commonly affected group. So, who is more likely to be troubled by this disease?
Risk Factors
Risk factors for osteonecrosis include fractures, joint dislocations, alcohol abuse, and high-dose steroid use. There are other risk factors worth noting, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and organ transplantation. In fact, this can also happen for no apparent reason. For example, many athletes develop this condition due to overuse of their joints or external injuries.
Most people who develop osteonecrosis have a previous medical condition, such as a joint injury or surgery.
Affected Areas
The most common site of osteonecrosis is the thighbone (femur), but other relatively common sites include the upper arm bone (humerus), knee, shoulder, and ankle. According to the study, in some patients, osteonecrosis may occur in multiple sites at the same time, causing their mobility to decrease further.
Treatment methods
There are various treatments for osteonecrosis, the most common of which is total hip replacement (THR). However, THR also has some disadvantages, such as a long recovery time and the fact that the lifespan of the hip joint is usually only 20 to 30 years. For young people, this may not be enough to sustain them throughout their lives. In some cases, core decompression surgery and bone grafting have been used to relieve the condition, but further research is needed to confirm their effectiveness.
Many studies have shown that patients who undergo core decompression surgery do not experience significant improvement when they receive physical therapy compared to those who receive physical therapy alone.
Patient Population
Age is a significant risk factor for osteonecrosis, especially in those between 30 and 50 years of age. Furthermore, males are usually affected at a higher rate than females. Among the high-risk patient groups, athletes and people who regularly perform heavy training tend to be more susceptible to this ailment. Several high-profile athletes, such as American football player Bo Jackson and tennis player Rafael Nadal, have faced career-ending challenges due to osteonecrosis.
Socio-cultural influence
Osteonecrosis can be particularly devastating for certain high-profile athletes during their careers. In 1991, American professional football player Bo Jackson had to end his career prematurely due to osteonecrosis, and other athletes such as Brett Favre and Floyd Landis were also affected by the disease to varying degrees. These conditions not only affect the physical health of athletes, but also the medical perspective of the sports community.
Diagnosis and outlook
The diagnosis of osteonecrosis is usually based on medical imaging, such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs. Early X-ray images may appear normal, but as the disease progresses, imaging tests may show typical changes. The effectiveness of treatment for osteonecrosis depends on the location of the affected bone, the extent of the damage and the effectiveness of self-reconstruction.
If left untreated, osteonecrosis may progress, leading to bone breakdown and the development of arthritis.
As osteonecrosis gradually receives more attention, lifestyle and health management of many high-risk groups remain important directions for future research. When faced with the threat of osteonecrosis, do we really understand our own risk factors?
