Tag: Bones
What your eating can be worsening your pain
Your eating what?
Before you take one more bite of that fast food lunch or dinner consider how it affects your osteoarthritis.
I am posting this because many with Avascular Necrosis/ Osteonecrosis also end up with osteoarthritis.
Did you know that research shows that diets high in saturated fat – found in red meat, butter, cheese, lard and processed foods – can weaken knee cartilage, making it more prone to damage.
Yep so start eating more plants
There was a study in 2017 published in Arthritis Care & Research, researchers followed more than 2,000 patients with OA for up to four years, checking disease progression and diet at yearly intervals. Participants who ate the most fat, especially the saturated kind, showed increasing joint damage, whereas those who ate healthy fats like olive oil and avocados had little disease progression.
Another recent animal study showed that it even may harm the underlying bone, according to Yin Xiao, PhD, a professor at Queensland University of Technology in Australia and lead author of a 2017 study that looked at the effect of diet on OA.
“Our findings suggest that it’s not wear and tear but diet that has a lot to do with the onset of osteoarthritis,” he says.
Blame It On Inflammation
Fat’s not the only culprit, though. Sugar, refined carbs, red meat, processed food and corn and soybean oils can spark inflammation, too. Barry Sears, PhD, a long-time researcher in inflammatory nutrition, says eating them is “like throwing a match into a vat of gasoline.”
These foods also tend to pack on pounds, putting extra pressure on stressed joints. To make matters worse, body fat, especially the kind that collects around your belly, makes its own inflammatory proteins, perpetuating the cycle of inflammation even after you’ve sworn off junk food forever.
Fighting Back
The solution is to change the way you eat. Switching to an anti-inflammatory or Mediterranean-style diet can help you lose weight and significantly improve your joint, heart and brain health without sacrificing good taste.
An anti-inflammatory diet is heavy on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish and healthy fats like olive oil, avocados and nuts. Poultry’s allowed now and then and you can have one glass of red wine or beer a day. Off the menu, as you might expect, are sugar, red meat, and processed foods.
What sets this way of eating apart is that it actively fights inflammation, experts say.
“There are a variety of foods in the Mediterranean diet that are high in fiber, beta carotene, magnesium and omega 3s, all of which have been found to reduce inflammatory markers in human studies,” explains Michelle Babb, MS, RD, a Seattle-based nutrition educator.
“I’ve had [arthritis] patients who have been able to discontinue the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as a result of transitioning to a Mediterranean diet. Some even report a noticeable difference in pain in the first week.”
Even so, changing the way you eat can be daunting.
“Don’t expect your diet to change overnight,” advises Sotiria Everett, EdD, RD, an assistant professor at Stonybrook University Medical Center in New York. “Start by looking at what you’re eating now (a food diary is a great way to do this) and identifying areas where you can improve.”
But Babb doesn’t see a problem. Her patients “really enjoy this food plan and don’t feel it’s a hardship to follow it,” she says.
She admits it takes more work and advance planning than the drive-through and recommends prepping some food for the week in advance.
I personally can agree with this as when I stopped eating so much red meat and cut out sugar and most processed junk I felt much better .
And when I eat things that are not as healthy as they should be I feel more pain.
So try a plant based diet or as they suggest Mediterranean
You will be so glad you did.
This taken from article Arthritis Foundation Blog
Signs It May Be Time For Hip Replacement©
When you have tried everything an all non-surgical treatments stop relieving your chronic hip pain, or your pain reaches debilitating levels, hip replacement surgery may be the best option to relieve your discomfort, restore your mobility and improve your quality of life.
Hip pain due to Osteonecrosis is an increasing problem for many.
After time over-the-counter pain medications can lose their efficacy and chronic hip pain can quickly escalate often requiring prescription medications, physical therapy, and the use of canes or walkers to aid mobility.
If your pain is severe and debilitating, isn’t it time to do something about it.
Talk to your Doctor or Orthopedic because you don’t need to suffer and have a poor quality of life.
What Signs & Symptoms Indicate a Need for Hip Replacement Surgery?
Hip pain can have a number of causes, not all of which can be relieved by a hip joint replacement.
Among the listed causes of AVN are steroid use, trauma, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and alcoholism, blood clot disorder, smoking, vasculitis Bisphosphonate use, Chemo or radiation or it could be idiopathic, meaning no cause can be determined. Certainly Napoli has had his share of wear and tear, being a catcher.
For instance, constant or long-lasting stiffness in your hip joint can be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis while pain that centers in the buttocks region and radiates down the leg may be related to sciatica.
However, many cases of hip pain and discomfort are directly related to your hip joint.
Symptoms and signs that it may be time for hip replacement surgery include:
• Mobility issues, especially if your level of mobility progressively worsens
• Persistent or recurring pain, swelling or discomfort in your hip
• Hip pain that worsens during rainy weather
• Inability to sleep due to hip pain and discomfort
• A “grating” feeling in your hip joint
• Increasing difficulty in climbing stairs or getting in and out of cars, bathtubs, and chairs
• OTC medications no longer effectively manage your hip pain
If you have any or all of these symptoms, talk to an orthopedic surgeon about the possible need for hip replacement surgery.
How Is a Diagnosis Made?
To determine if you are a good candidate for hip replacement surgery, you will need a thorough examination by an experienced orthopedic surgeon. This examination will include:
• A complete medical history evaluation, including any previous injuries or illnesses that could be contributing to your pain
• A physical assessment to determine your range of motion, pain level and the strength of your affected hip
Your orthopedic surgeon may also order additional medical testing, including MRIs and X-rays. If your surgeon decides that the next step is hip replacement surgery, be sure to discuss any questions or concerns you have about the surgery or recovery from hip replacement surgery.
What Do You Need to Know About Hip Replacement Surgical Procedures?
Potential candidates for hip replacement surgery need to know that the surgery is a time-tested procedure that has been used successfully for more than four decades to relieve chronic hip pain and improve both flexibility and mobility. More than 300,000 Americans opt for hip replacement surgery each year to rid themselves of hip pain and improve their quality of life.
Total hip replacement surgery, or total hip arthroplasty, uses a ball and socket prosthetic joint to replace your damaged one. Special metals, such as cobalt-chromium and titanium, and polyethylene plastics, are used to make your prosthetic joints. These materials are safe for use inside the body and are extremely durable and long lasting.
The procedure for your total hip replacement surgery will most likely include the following steps:
1 Separating your femur from your hip socket
2 Removing the damaged ball from the femur
3 Removing your damaged bone and cartilage
4 Inserting a metal shell into your pelvic bone socket and using bone grafting material to secure it
5 Completing the artificial socket by adding the plastic liner
6 Preparing your femur to receive the metal implant
7 Placing the metal implant into the hollowed end of your femur
8 Attaching a metal ball component to the stem
Hip replacement surgery is a very effective procedure, and most patients experience a dramatic reduction in pain and improvements in their mobility and stamina. With the proper recovery procedures and physical therapy, you should be able to enjoy walking, swimming, biking and other low-impact activities without impediment.
If you can no longer bare the pain or have problems walking talk to your ortho about your options.
Good luck
We’re praying for you
Text ©Debla2014
Please Help Me Raise Awareness©
I need you to help me get to my goal
I have started a petition to get the rare disease Osteonecrosis recognized by asking for an awareness month week or day. If they won’t allow a month.
I could use as many supporters as possible to help me and share this.
No money at all is needed.
I hope you will help me raise awareness
Take Action: We Need Osteonecrosis Awareness To Have The Month Of October to Recognized & raise awareness #Osteonecrosis #AvascularNecrosis please help and sign and share
Link requesting osteonecrosis awareness-month-october
Or copy and paste
https://www.petition2congress.com/ctas/osteonecrosis-awareness-month-october
To President Donald Trump, The U.S. House and The U.S. Senate
We, the patients of a rare disease called Osteonecrosis respectfully ask the United States of America in this petition to the US Congress to pass legislation to establish and recognize October as Osteonecrosis Awareness Month in the United States.
The people of the United States are called upon to observe the month of October with appropriate educational and awareness opportunities, and recognition.
With hundreds of thousands of US residents suffering from this disease and more being diagnosed everyday , there is a need for this community to have an active voice and recognition.
It is happening in all age groups from child to elderly
Osteonecrosis, also known as Avascular necrosis (AVN), aseptic necrosis or ischemic bone necrosis, is a disease resulting in the death of bone cells. If the process involves the bones near a joint, it often leads to collapse of the joint surface and subsequent debilitating often crippling arthritis due to an irregular joint surface.
Although it can happen in any bone, osteonecrosis most commonly affects the ends (epiphysis) of long bones such as the femur (thigh bone). Commonly involved bones are the upper femur (ball part of the hip socket) the lower femur (a part of the knee joint), the upper humerus (upper arm bone involving the shoulder joint), and the bones of ankle joint. The disease may affect just one bone, more than one bone at the same time, or more than one bone at different times.
Osteonecrosis can cause severe pain and disability. Early diagnosis and early treatment may improve the outcome.
Osteonecrosis may result from use of glucocorticoid (sometimes called corticosteroid) medicine or from drinking too much alcohol but there are many causes and also some that are unknown.
Though osteonecrosis can occur in almost any bone of the body, the hips, knees,ankle and shoulders are the most common sites affected.
The cause and treatment for osteonecrosis of the jaw differs from that for osteonecrosis found elsewhere.
The most common causes of osteonecrosis are:
Serious trauma to bone or joint (injury), which interrupts a bone’s blood supply
Corticosteroid medications (such as prednisone, cortisone or methylprednisolone), mainly when a high dose is used for a prolonged period of time
Excess alcohol consumption
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Other risk factors for osteonecrosis include:
Decompression disease (also called the “Bends” that can occur with scuba diving)
Blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) and lupus anticoagulant, factor v leiden, and others
HIV infection (the virus that causes AIDS)
Radiation and Chemotherapy
Bisphosphonates, which may be linked to osteonecrosis of the jaw
Organ transplants
Osteonecrosis is not life-threatening, but it is debilitating and hurts our quality of life. Although it isn’t well-known and its exact cause is unknown, AVN-ON affects 10,000-to-20,000 Americans annually. Between 30 and 60 percent of patients will experience AVN-ON bi-laterally, which means both sides so if one hip or knee has it most likely so will the other.
Please help those of us that suffer from this condition by creating more research , funding studies and allowing us the recognition, as only through education, research and awareness can we get better treatment options, earlier diagnosis and hopefully prevention.
Thank You
Deb
Maintaining Angiogenesis Can Prevent Glucocorticoid Induced Osteonecrosis
Angiogenesis is a key component of bone repair. … Angiogenesis is regulated by a variety of growth factors, notably vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which are produced by inflammatory cells and stromal cells to induce blood vessel in-growth.
Wouldn’t it be great if there wa a way many could keep their blood vessels healthy and avoid or lower risk of developing Osteonecrosis?
Research and links below discuss just that.
#angiogenesis and bone repair in steroid-induced osteonecrosis
#Osteonecrosis #AvascularNecrosis
Links
Angiogenesis in Bone Regeneration What It Is
Angiogenesis and Bone Repair For Osteonecrosis Info and Links
Maintaining Angiogenesis Prevents Glucocorticoid Induced Osteonecrosis
How people can develop Osteonecrosis in Jaw.
Link below.
Osteonecrosis of the Jaw and Angiogenesis inhibitors: A Revival of a Rare but Serous Side Effect.
Photo credit and website listed below.
You won’t keep me down ©
Osteonecrosis can be painful you never know when the pain will come or go.
But I do know it’s already taken my job away from me.
I love the optical field. But the pain was too intense.
Well I’m back in school learning something new.
#YourNeverToOldToLearn
©Debla2019
Avascular Necrosis-Osteonecrosis
The real term is Osteonecrosis
Synonyms of Osteonecrosis
- aseptic necrosis
- avascular necrosis of bone
- ischemic necrosis of bone
What is avascular necrosis-osteonecrosis ?
AVN-ON is a disease that results from the temporary or permanent loss of blood supply to the bone.
When blood supply is cut off, the bone tissue dies and the bone collapses. If it happens near a joint, the joint surface may collapse.
This condition may happen in any bone. It most commonly happens in the ends of a long bone. It may affect one bone, several bones at one time, or different bones at different times.
What causes avascular necrosis?
Avascular necrosis – Osteonecrosis may be the result of the following:
• Injury
• Fracture
• Damage to blood vessels
• Long-term use of medicines, such as corticosteroids
•To many steroid injections
• Excessive, long-term use of alcohol
• Specific chronic medical conditions
What are the risk factors for avascular necrosis-osteonecrosis?
Risk factors include:
• Injury
• Steroid use
• Gaucher disease
• Caisson disease
• Alcohol use
• Blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, factor V, eNOS, mthfr, factor viii
• Radiation treatments
• Chemotherapy
• Pancreatitis
• Decompression disease
• Hypercoagulable state
• Hyperlipidemia
• Autoimmune disease
• HIV
• Vasculitis
• Bone Marrow Edema
• Legg Calves Perthes is avn in childhood
Vasculitis
Smoking
High cholesterol
What are the symptoms of avascular necrosis?
The following are the most common symptoms of avascular necrosis. However, each person may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
• Minimal early joint pain
• Increased joint pain as bone and joint begin to collapse
• Limited range of motion due to pain
The symptoms of avascular necrosis may look like other medical conditions or bone problems. Always talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
How is avascular necrosis treated?
Specific treatment for avascular necrosis will be determined by your healthcare provider based on:
• Your age, overall health, and medical history
• Extent of the disease
• Location and amount of bone affected
• Underlying cause of the disease
• Your tolerance for specific medicines, procedures, or therapies
• Expectations for the course of the disease
Key points about avascular necrosis
• Avascular necrosis is a disease that results from the temporary or permanent loss of blood supply to the bone. It happens most commonly in the ends of a long bone.
• Avascular necrosis may be the result of injury, use of specific medicines, or alcohol.
• Symptoms may include mild to severe joint pain and limited range of motion.
• Medications,assistive devices, new experimental treatments like Prp and stem cell injections have show great promise but usually not covered by insurance or you may need to have surgery to improve functionality or to stop further damage to the affected bone or joint.
Next steps
Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider:
• Know the reason for your visit and what you want to happen.
• Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.
• Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you.
• At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you.
• Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed, and how it will help you. Also know what the side effects are.
• Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways.
• Know why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean.
• Know what to expect if you do not take the medicine or have the test or procedure.
• If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.
• Know how you can contact your provider if you have questions. You’re physician should always take a few minutes to talk to you and discuss concerns, treatments all treatments not just the ones they do.
If you don’t get good communication you may want to get another opinion and consider changing providers.
Learn to be your own advocate
Your worth it.
Osteonecrosis has many different causes. Loss of blood supply to the bone may lead to bone cell death and can be caused by an injury (bone fracture or joint dislocation; called traumatic osteonecrosis). At times, there may be no history of injury (non-traumatic osteonecrosis); however, other risk factors are associated with the disease such as some medications (steroids, also known as corticosteroids), alcohol usage or blood coagulation disorders. Increased pressure within the bone also is associated with osteonecrosis. One theory is that the pressure within the bone causes the blood vessels to narrow, making it difficult for blood to circulate through the bone. Osteonecrosis can also be associated with other disorders.
The exact reason osteonecrosis develops is not fully understood for some risk factors. Sometimes, osteonecrosis occurs in people with no risk factors (idiopathic).
Some people have multiple risk factors. Osteonecrosis most likely develops because of the combination of factors, possibly including genetic, metabolic, self-imposed (alcohol, smoking), and other diseases that you may have and their treatment.
Injury:
When a joint is injured, as in a meniscus tear, fracture or dislocation, the blood vessels may be damaged. This can interfere with the blood circulation to the bone and lead to trauma-related osteonecrosis. Studies suggest that this type of osteonecrosis may develop in more than 20% of people who dislocate their hip joint. And 15 % of people who have trauma to knee.
Corticosteroid Medications:
Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, are commonly used to treat diseases in which there is inflammation, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, copd, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and vasculitis.
Studies suggest that long-term, high dose systemic (oral or intravenous) corticosteroid use is a major risk factor for non-traumatic osteonecrosis with reports of up to 35 percent of all people with non-traumatic osteonecrosis.
However, there is still some risk of osteonecrosis associated with the infrequent use of corticosteroids, inhaled corticosteroids, or most steroid injections into joints.
Patients should discuss concerns about corticosteroid use with their doctor.
Doctors aren’t sure exactly why the use of corticosteroids sometimes is associated with osteonecrosis. They may have negative effects on different organs and tissues within the body. For example, they may interfere with the body’s ability to build new bones and to break down fatty substances.
These substances would then build up in and clog the blood vessels, causing them to narrow. This then would reduce the ability of blood to flow inside a bone.
Alcohol Use:
Excessive alcohol use is another major risk factor for non-traumatic osteonecrosis. Studies have reported that alcohol accounts for about 30% of all people with non-traumatic osteonecrosis. While alcohol can slow down bone remodeling (the balance between forming new bone and removing bone), it is not known why or how alcohol can trigger osteonecrosis.
Other Risk Factors:
Other risk factors or conditions associated with non-traumatic osteonecrosis include Gaucher disease, pancreatitis, autoimmune disease, cancer, HIV infection, decompression disease (Caisson disease), and blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, factor v, mthfr, and more so always ask your doctor to check you for a clot disorder.
Certain medical treatments including radiation treatments and chemotherapy can cause osteonecrosis. People who have received a kidney or other organ transplant may also have an increased risk.
Affected Populations
Osteonecrosis usually affects people between 20 and 50 years of age; about 10,000 to 20,000 people develop osteonecrosis each year in the United States alone.
Osteonecrosis affects both men and women and affects people of all ages. It is most common among people in their thirties and forties. Depending on a person’s risk factors and whether the underlying cause is trauma, it also can affect younger or older people.
Diagnosis
After performing a complete physical examination and asking about the patient’s medical history (for example, what health problems the patient has had and for how long), the doctor may use one or more imaging techniques to diagnose osteonecrosis. As with many other diseases, early diagnosis increases the chances of treatment success.
It is likely that the doctor first will recommend an x-ray. X-rays can help identify many causes of joint pain, such as a fracture or arthritis. If the x-ray is normal, the patient may need to have more tests.
Research studies have shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is currently the most sensitive method for diagnosing osteonecrosis in the early stages. The tests described below may be used to determine the amount of bone affected and how far the disease has progressed.
X-Ray
An x-ray is a common tool that the doctor may use to help diagnose the cause of joint pain. It is a simple way to produce pictures of bones. The x-ray of a person with early osteonecrosis is likely to be normal because x-rays are not sensitive enough to detect the bone changes in the early stages of the disease. X-rays can show bone damage in the later stages, and once the diagnosis is made, they are often used to monitor the course of the condition.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
MRI is a common method for diagnosing osteonecrosis. Unlike x-rays, bone scans, and CT (computed/computerized tomography) scans, MRI detects chemical changes in the bone marrow and can show osteonecrosis in its earliest stages before it is seen on an x-ray. MRI provides the doctor with a picture of the area affected and the bone rebuilding process. In addition, MRI may show diseased areas that are not yet causing any symptoms. An MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce cross-sectional images of organs and bodily tissues.
Bone Scan
Also known as bone scintigraphy, bone scans should not be used for the diagnosis of osteonecrosis because they may miss 20 to 40% of the bone locations affected.
Computed/Computerized Tomography (CT)
A CT scan is an imaging technique that provides the doctor with a three-dimensional picture of the bone. It also shows “slices” of the bone, making the picture much clearer than x-rays and bone scans. CT scans usually do not detect early osteonecrosis as early as MRI scans but are the best way to show a crack in the bone. Occasionally it may be useful in determining the extent of bone or joint surface collapse.
Biopsy
A biopsy is a surgical procedure in which tissue from the affected bone is removed and studied. It is rarely used for diagnosis, as the other imaging studies are usually sufficiently distinct to make the diagnosis with a high level of confidence.
Standard Therapies
Treatment
Appropriate treatment for osteonecrosis is necessary to keep joints from collapsing. If untreated, most patients will experience severe pain and limitation in movement within two years. There is no agreed upon optimal treatment for individuals with osteonecrosis.
Early intervention is essential to preserve the joints, but most people are diagnosed late in the disease process.
Several treatments are available that can help prevent further bone and joint damage and reduce pain. To determine the most appropriate treatment, the doctor considers the following aspects of a patient’s disease: the age of the patient; the stage of the disease–early or late; the location and amount of bone affected–a small or large area. The underlying cause has not been shown to influence outcomes of treatment.
The goal in treating osteonecrosis is to improve the patient’s use of the affected joint, stop further damage to the bone, and ensure bone and joint survival. If osteonecrosis is diagnosed early enough, collapse and joint replacement can be prevented. To reach these goals, the doctor may use one or more of the following treatments.
Non-operative Treatment
There is no known pharmaceutical cure for osteonecrosis. Several non-operative treatments have been studied including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, shock wave therapy, electrical stimulation, pharmaceuticals (anticoagulants, bisphosphonates, vasodilators, lipid lowering agents), physiotherapy and muscle strengthening exercises, and combinations thereof. There are conflicting results for some of these treatments, therefore, rigorous, randomized controlled trials with large numbers of patients are still needed to determine the effectiveness of these treatments. Non-operative treatment may be part of a wait-and-see approach based on the size of the area of dead bone. Non-operative treatments cannot be labeled as conservative, since many of them do not slow the progression of the disease or lead to avoidance of a total hip arthroplasty. Most are simply pain-relieving at best.
Reduced weight bearing does not alter the course of the disease and is not a treatment. It may be used to simply permit the patient to better cope with pain until appropriate treatment is instituted.
Surgical Treatment
Core decompression – This surgical procedure removes or drills a tunnel into the area of the affected bone, which reduces pressure within the bone. Core decompression works best in people who are in the earliest stages of osteonecrosis, before the collapse of the dead bone. This procedure sometimes can reduce pain and slow the progression of bone and joint destruction in these patients.
Osteotomy – This surgical procedure reshapes the bone to reduce stress on the affected area. There is a lengthy recovery period, and the patient’s activities are very limited for 3 to 12 months after an osteotomy. This procedure is most effective for patients with advanced osteonecrosis and those with a small area of affected bone.
Bone graft – Bone grafts can be used as part of the surgical treatment for osteonecrosis. Bone grafts can use bone from the same patient or donor bone. Bone graft or synthetic bone graft can be inserted into the hole created by the core decompression procedure. A specialized procedure, called vascularized bone grafting, involves moving a piece of bone from another site (often the fibula, one of the bones of the calf, or the iliac crest, a portion of the pelvic bone) with a vascular attachment. This allows for support of the diseased area as well as a new source of blood supply. This is a complex procedure and is performed by surgeons that are specially trained. Another type of bone grafting, involves scraping out all of the dead bone and replacing it with healthier bone graft, often from other portions of the patient’s skeleton.
A unique type of bone graft involves the use of a patient’s own cells that are capable of making new bone. Often these cells are a type of stem cell from the bone marrow or other bodily tissues. There has been increasing interest in the potential of stem cell therapy. This is also being studied for the treatment of osteonecrosis. Mesenchymal stem cells, which are a type of ‘adult’ stem cell, can grow and develop into many different cell types in the body. Physicians take the patient’s own mesenchymal stem cells (autologous transplant) and place them into the affected bone to stimulate bone repair and regeneration.
Arthroplasty/total joint replacement – Total joint replacement is the treatment of choice in late-stage osteonecrosis when the joint is destroyed. In this surgery, the diseased joint is replaced with artificial parts. It may be recommended for people who are not good candidates for other treatments, such as patients who do not do well with repeated attempts to preserve the joint. Various types of replacements are available, and people should discuss specific needs with their doctor.
For most people with osteonecrosis, treatment is an ongoing process. Doctors may first recommend the least complex and invasive procedure, such as protecting the joint by limiting high impact activities, and watch the effect on the patient’s condition.
Other treatments then may be used to prevent further bone destruction and reduce pain such as core decompression with bone graft/stem cell therapy,Prp injections, A2m injection. But some of these new treatments may not be covered by your insurance.
Eventually patients may need joint replacement if the disease has progressed to collapse of the bone. It is important that patients carefully follow instructions about activity limitations and work closely with their doctor to ensure that appropriate treatments are used.
Investigational Therapies
Scientists, researchers, and physicians continue to pursue a better understanding of how this disease occurs as well as compare the effectiveness of current and newly developed therapies. Often, this requires a clinical trial to answer questions and gain additional knowledge.
Information on current clinical trials is posted on the Internet at www.clinicaltrials.gov. All studies receiving U.S. government funding, and some supported by private industry, are posted on this government web site.
Information
Material Used In Hip Replacements
The Many Different Materials Used in Hip Replacement Devices.
If you need a hip replacement it’s best to educate yourself .
Hip replacement devices break into a few big categories:
Metal on Metal (MOM) – These are what they sound like. Both the socket and the ball are made of stainless steel, titanium, chromium, cobalt or some combination of these. One sub-type of a MOM hip is a minimally invasive model which usually is smaller in size, so it can be installed with a smaller incision.
Polyethylene and Metal on Polyethylene (MOP) – Polyethylene is basically plastic, so these hips usually have metal structural pieces and a plastic liner where the ball and socket meet. They can also have a metal ball meeting a plastic socket liner. A sub-type of a polyethylene hip is made with a newer plastic called cross linked polyethylene, which is more durable.
Ceramic on Metal (COM), Ceramic on Ceramic (COC), Ceramic on Polyethylene (COP) – Ceramic hips are made of specialized and more durable versions of the same type of material that plates and bowls are made from. There are ceramic on metal, ceramic on ceramic, and ceramic on polyethylene versions. While these are durable, they can be vulnerable to fracture and breaking under big stresses.
Wear Particles
If for some reason I would need a hip replacement, my single biggest concern would be wear particles. This phenomenon first came to light about 5 – 7 years ago when surgeons began to replace the first worn out or failed metal on metal (MOM) hips. What they found in some patients was scary. Basically, the entire area directly around the hip replacement device had turned into a mass of black goo.
Then studies were published showing that those microscopic metal shavings were leaching into the blood stream and causing elevated metal ion levels. Additional studies began to point out that some people’s tissue was so sensitive to this junk that they formed pseudotumors, which are basically big solid masses of irritated tissues, some of which could press on important nerves. Finally, genetic studies showed that not only was this tissue visibly unhappy, the cells were getting damaged at a genetic level from the wear particles.
When all of this first came to light, it looked like only MOM hips were involved. However, as the research below shows, the issue of wear particles extends to every type of hip made.
ARMD – Adverse Reactions to Metal Debris
Before we begin, it’s worth noting that there is now a name for pissed off tissue caused by wear particles. In a 90s movie, a nuclear war head falls into the wrong hands and the main character is informed that this is called a “Broken Arrow”. He responds to the effect of, “I’m not sure what’s more disturbing, the fact that we just lost a nuclear warhead or that you actually have a name for this”. I feel the same about the fact that the orthopedic joint replacement community now has a name for wear particles that cause problems in patients.
In addition to highlighting research on wear particles, I’ll also look at the durability of each type. So let’s take a look at how to navigate this minefield.
The Research on the Various Types of Hip Replacement Materials – Focused on Wear Particles and Device Failure
MOM or “Metal on Metal”
The “bad boy” of hip replacement types is clearly MOM hips. The funniest thing is that despite all of the absolutely horrific things published about these devices, you can still find Internet ads for many surgeons who will be happy to implant them. They do this by claiming that these are “minimally invasive” hips. While there’s a tiny kernel of truth in that hogwash (the incisions needed to implant them are smaller), there is nothing minimally invasive about amputating a joint and inserting a prosthesis, no matter how you skin that cat. In addition, the smaller the device, the bigger the wear particle issue.
MOM hips produce metal wear particles locally that are then taken up in the bloodstream. In general, smaller MOM hip devices (usually those used for small framed women) have a higher likelihood of producing metal wear particles. This study showed more metal ions in the blood with MOM devices compared to conventional hip replacement prostheses. This randomized trial again demonstrated more metal ions in the blood of women with MOM hips when compared to conventional hip replacement, but also noted that pseudotumors occurred both around these MOM devices and the more conventional MOP devices as well. This recent study showed that metal debris was present in both large and small MOM hip replacement devices.
Photo from Breaking Muscle It’s all in the hips
The latest 2015 consensus guidelines are now not to perform a MOM hip replacement in small women or anybody with a known metal allergy. The latest study on MOM hips and pseudotumors concludes, “Adverse reactions to metal debris in MOM hips may not be as benign as previous reports have suggested.” Not good.
Polyethylene and Metal on Polyethylene (MOP)
When I initially began this literature search, I thought that MOP hips may be better in the wear particle department. After all, you don’t have metal rubbing on metal, but usually metal on plastic. However, I was wrong.
To see how bad things can get with MOP wear particles, I didn’t have to look far. This recent study from 2014 showed an awful side effect of both polyethylene and metal wear particles, a pseudotumor that invaded a woman’s vaginal tissues. This 2015 study was very concerning in that it compared MOP hips to MOM hips with regard to metal levels and chromosome damage in cells. It couldn’t conclude that one was better than the other. Based on this 2014 study, MOP hips wear less, but their wear particles produce slightly more tissue reaction than MOM hips. This is all consistent with a recent study I blogged on, showing that conventional polyethylene wear particles reduced stem cell activity in bone marrow and muscle.
If there is one bright spot in this category, it’s likely the newer highly cross linked polyethylene (HCLP). Based on this recent study, HCLP hips produced fewer wear particles than regular polyethylene. In another study of shoulder replacement devices, the lower debris for these devices was confirmed. In addition, based on this 2014 study HCLP devices seem to withstand unexpected wear and part failure better.
Ceramic on Metal (COM), Ceramic on Ceramic (COC), Ceramic on Polyethylene (COP)
Maybe ceramic is the way to go? After all, what could go wrong with installing a hip replacement device made of the same substance as dinner plates?
This 2015 randomized trial showed that COM hips still regrettably produced metal wear particles that ended up in the blood stream. Some good news for COM hips could be found in this 2015 study. It concluded that while there was swelling around these devices, when compared to minimally invasive MOM hips, there were no pseudotumors seen in COM hips. However, based on this analysis of many studies, there doesn’t seem to be any advantage of COC compared to COP. How does COM and COC compare? Ceramic on metal doesn’t seem to have the same durability as ceramic on ceramic based on this study.
Is Your Surgeon Being Paid to Promote a Certain Type of Hip?
One of the real challenges in navigating this landscape is that regrettably, joint replacement devices have been one of the worst areas of payola in medicine. As reimbursements have declined for the surgical procedures of installing and replacing devices, many surgeons have figured out that they can keep their cash flow stable by taking money from the device manufacturers. This has been the subject of many Department of Justice lawsuits through the years.
The big issue for patients is how to know if their surgeon is recommending a hip device because they really feel that it’s the best, or because they’re getting paid by the company making the device. This Propublica web-site will allow you to research your surgeon’s payment history.
Correct Sizing is Key!
It’s very clear from reviewing the medical research on this topic that a poorly sized hip device is a huge problem for many reasons. First, it will reduce the longevity of the device. Perhaps more importantly, it virtually guarantees more harmful wear particles. And since we’re talking about replacing your hip, a good fit is common sense.
Given the modular nature of these hip devices and the wide array of options, a poor fit should never happen. However, in my experience, hardware fitting issues usually happen when the operating room and/or hospital don’t have the correct size in stock on the day of the surgery. So agree before hand on the size of the components and make sure the staff has double-checked to make sure the hospital has that size in stock.
The upshot? All hip replacement devices produce wear particles. But which is best? It’s clear that when metal on metal implants go bad, things can go very bad with a local tissue reaction that can cause pseudotumors and high metal ions levels in the blood. If I had to get my hip replaced, I would cross this type of implant off my list. Ceramics still produce wear particles and have the added problem of fracturing in an active individual. Polyethylene wear particles in a MOP hip can be just as bad as those from a MOM hip. Given that highly cross linked polythylene has the least wear particles, this is likely the winner. However, realize that not as much is known about tissue reaction to cross linked polyethylene, so that recommendation may change with time. In addition, there are newer types of ceramics that once mated with HCLP could produce less debris.
More information Hip Replacement Material- Regenexx
Kummel Disease
Avascular necrosis (AVN) develops when a bone loses its blood supply. AVN goes by several other names, including Kummel disease, osteonecrosis, aseptic necrosis, and ischemic bone necrosis. AVN typically affects bone in the hips, thighs, knees and shoulders—although it can develop in any bone in the body.
Kummel disease is a rarely occurring variation of avascular necrosis that can affect the spine’s vertebrae, usually the thoracic spine (mid back) region. There are many different spine-related disorders that can contribute to disrupting a vertebral body’s blood supply, such as infection, osteoporosis, radiation therapy, steroid use, and metastatic spine tumors. Like other organs in the body, bone needs a healthy blood supply to rebuild itself, stay strong and support the spinal column.
Though Kummell disease is rare, researchers believe it’s becoming more prevalent as the aging population grows. People with osteoporosis and older adults are at a greater risk for developing this disorder.
Kummel Disease: A Not-So-Rare Complication of Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures
As our population ages, the prevalence of osteoporosis, its most common fragility fracture (vertebral compression fracture), and Kummel disease will increase.
Also if younger and you are diagnosed with osteoporosis your chances are higher to possibly develop Kummel Disease.
text ©Debla2017
Avascular Necrosis and Kummel Disease Share Some Similar Causes and Risk Factors
- Injury: This is known as trauma-related avascular necrosis. A broken hip or vertebral fracture may lead to osteonecrosis.
- Increased pressure within the bone: The pressure within the bone causes the blood vessels to narrow, making it hard for the vessels to deliver enough blood to the bone cells.
- Certain risk factors: This is known as non-traumatic avascular necrosis. These risks include medical conditions and lifestyle choices that affect bone metabolism or bone remodeling.
AVN has several risk factors, including medical conditions and lifestyle choices that may increase your chances of developing the disorder:
- Heavy alcohol use
- Long-term corticosteroid use
- Osteoporosis
- Blood clots and arterial inflammation
- Blood disorders (such as Sickle cell disease)
- Radiation and chemotherapy
- Pancreatitis
- Gaucher disease (occurs when high amounts of fatty substances collect in the organs)
- Decompression sickness (a condition causing gas bubbles in the blood)
How Doctors Diagnose Avascular Necrosis
Diagnosing spinal AVN caused by trauma—also called Kummell disease—begins with a thorough review of your medical history and symptoms. This is all part of your physical exam.
After your physical exam, your doctor may order imaging scans to better see changes in your vertebrae.
Below are some of the tools your doctor may use to diagnose Kummell disease:
- X-ray: This first-line imaging test can illuminate problems with your spinal bones. It’s not able to show early-stage bone problems, though.
- Computed tomography (CT) scan: A CT scan provides a 3-dimensional picture of your bone. It also shows “slices” of bone, making the picture clearer than what x-rays and bone scans deliver.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This technology can produce very detailed images of your soft tissues and bones. The test is sensitive enough to see bone problems at their earliest onset, which x-ray is unable to do.
- Bone scan: Also known as skeletal scintigraphy, bone scans are often used in people who have normal x-rays. A radioactive dye is injected into your affected bone and a picture of your bone is taken with a special camera. The picture shows how the dye travels through your bone and where normal bone formation is occurring.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is a surgical procedure in which tissue from your affected bone is removed and studied. Although a biopsy is a conclusive way to diagnose AVN, it is rarely used because it requires surgery.
- Functional evaluation of bone: Tests to measure the pressure inside a bone may be used when your doctor strongly suspects that you have AVN, despite normal x-ray, bone scan, and MRI results. These tests are very sensitive at detecting increased pressure within your bone, but they require surgery.
How Is Avascular Necrosis Treated?
The goals of treatment for AVN include improving your use of the affected joint, stopping further damage to the bone, and ensuring bone and joint survival.
If you have an early-stage form of Kummell disease, your doctor may prescribe medications to manage pain and/or inflammation. Physical therapy (PT) may be included in your treatment plan. A physical therapist can teach you how to exercise safely to protect your joints and bones while building strength, flexibility and endurance.
Though non-surgical treatments may help keep pain at bay, they are generally a temporary solution for people with Kummel disease. In many cases, spine surgery is necessary to prevent the condition from progressing to a point that it harms your quality of life.
Spine surgery for Kummel disease may have several purposes, depending on your specific symptoms. As such, your surgeon may use a single surgical approach or combine techniques to give you the best possible outcome. For example:
- If you have a spinal vertebral fracture, your doctor may perform vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty to stabilize the compression fracture.
- If you have developed abnormal kyphosis, your doctor may recommend osteotomy (surgical removal of bone) combined with spinal instrumentation and fusion. This combination of surgical procedures can reduce the size of the kyphotic curve, realign the spine and stabilize it.
- Some patients with Kummel disease have pain and neurological symptoms, such as numbness or weakness. If symptoms are caused by nerve compression, a spinal decompression surgery (such as a foraminotomy) may be recommended to relief pressure on pinched nerves and prevent potentially permanent nerve damage.
Another surgical option for AVN is known as core decompression. This procedure involves removing the inner layer of bone, which reduces pressure within the bone, increases blood flow to the bone, and allows more blood vessels to form.
Core decompression works best in people who are in the earliest stages of avascular necrosis, often before the collapse of a joint. This procedure may reduce pain and slow progression of bone and joint destruction.
After core decompression, your surgeon may implant bone graft to help stimulate new bone growth and healing. Bone graft transplants healthy bone from a part of the body, such as the leg, to the diseased area. Several synthetic bone grafts are also available. Depending on the location and extent of the surgery, expect a lengthy recovery period, usually from 6 to 12 months.
As with all areas of medicine, researchers are continuously exploring treatments that may help people with AVN. One area of interest is therapies that increase the growth of new bone and blood vessels. These treatments have been used experimentally alone and in combination with other treatments, such as osteotomy and core decompression.
Your doctor will work with you to develop a custom treatment plan that addresses your symptoms and medical history.
Your Outlook with Avascular Necrosis (Kummel Disease)
For most people with avascular necrosis (also known as osteonecrosis, aseptic necrosis, and ischemic bone necrosis), treatment is an ongoing process. Your doctor may first recommend the least invasive approach and observe how you respond before progressing you to more substantial AVN therapies. If your condition affects your spinal vertebrae and was caused by trauma or injury (Kummell disease), several treatments may help prevent complications like spinal fracture, kyphosis deformity, and nerve pain from disrupting your life.
Educating On Bone Marrow Edema ©
Good Morning Pain Warriors Around The World
It is time to educate on the various causes of
Avascular Necrosis-Osteonecrosis
So twice a week we will post some educational info on a cause with links
Today Its Bone Marrow Edema
What is Bone Marrow Edema?
Bone marrow edema is a condition when excess fluids in the bone marrow build up and cause swelling. It is often caused by a response to an injury, such as a broken bone or a bruise, or a more chronic condition such as osteoporosis. Bone marrow edema most commonly occurs in the hips, knees and ankles. In this case, bone marrow edema of the knee is a main cause of localized knee and joint pain, and is only diagnosable via a Magnetic Resonance Imagining test (MRI).
It is usually caused by the following scenarios:
• Avascular necrosis, or “bone death”. This is when a small portion of the bone dies, and can result in a painful bone marrow edema
• Any type of knee bone trauma, including broken bones and bone bruises.
• Joint disorders such as osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. In this case, the knee joint is lacking the cushion that cartilage provides, which can lead to easier fracture and wear on the bone. Subsequently, if a fracture of the bone occurs, the injured area becomes susceptible to edema..
• Knee ligament injuries.
• A condition such as synovitis (an inflammation of the lining the joints, called synovial membranes).
• In rare conditions, bone tumor.
Symptoms of Bone Marrow Edema in the Knee
Bone marrow edemas may not bother you at all, or they may be painful and inconvenient. They can feel more intense than a muscular injury (for example, a muscle bruise) at times due to the nature of the bone. A muscle is capable of swelling, which increases blood flow to heal the area. Unfortunately, bones are not capable of swelling, and thus the fluid (edema) that collects in the marrow can create intense pressure within the bone, resulting in more intense pain. In fact, in many osteoarthritic patients, it isn’t the lack of cartilage that’s causing them pain, but rather the pressure due to the edema.
Some of the most common symptoms of bone marrow endema include:
• Varying degrees of pain, from mild to moderate, depending on the severity and Trauma.
• Swelling of the knee area.
• Inability to put full pressure on the knee to walk.
• Recurrent pain and tenderness.
• Bruising.
Treatment of Bone Marrow Edema in the Knee
Thankfully, most bone marrow edemas will settle down and heal on their own after the injury has subsided. For example, in some cases of osteonecrosis the bone will regenerate itself and heal the edema but note : not all cases of osteonecrosis or spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee will have the ability to heal itself. Unfortunately, though, in the case of osteoarthritis, the edema may only get worse over time. In this circumstance, treatment options may be explored.
Traditional treatments for bone marrow edema usually involve rehabilitation through physiotherapy and rest. Ice, medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and even a crutch or a cane can help as well. There is one drug-facilitated treatment that uses a bisphosphonate and vitamin D mixture to help increase bone density. When this treatment is delivered via intravenous, it is found to be quite effective in reducing pain and increasing density. Other drugs that usually treat the vascular system have been found effective for bone marrow edema, in that they encourage blood flow and treat any vascular abnormalities that may exist in the bone and marrow.
In some more challenging cases, core decompression may be used. This is a type of surgery where a surgeon drills a hole into the affected part of the bone allowing that area of the bone to experience increased blood flow, form new blood vessels, and heal.
Another option is subchondroplasty, which can be especially effective for osteoarthritis patients. In this procedure, an x-ray determines where the edema is. The patient is then sedated, and a small needle injects a paste into the area of the edema. The paste then hardens and provides more strength and density to the bone. By improving the strength of the bone, it will enable the bone to deal with the pain of the edema and of the osteoarthritis.
http://louisvillebones.com/understanding-bone-marrow-edema/
Knee
https://www.g2orthopedics.com/bone-marrow-edema-in-the-knee/
https://www.researchgate.net/…/7224238_Bone_marrow_edema_in…
https://www.researchgate.net/…/7224238_Bone_marrow_edema_in…
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/crirh/2018/7657982/
Hip Study
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/94/4/1068/2596208
https://www.ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.05.0086
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15049532
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4972799/
Shoulder
https://www.sciencedirect.com/…/veterinary-sc…/osteonecrosis
Ankle
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21189186
https://www.footanklesurgery-journal.com/…/S1268-7…/abstract
If you have #Osteonecrosis feel free to join our #group
AvascualrNecrosis/Osteonecrosis Support Int’l
©Debla2014
Avascular Necrosis-Osteonecrosis Education and Resources 