Aseptic bone necrosis is a disease syndrome involving the formation of necrotic changes in bone tissue without the participation of pathogenic microorganisms. Necrosis is usually diagnosed in children during the period of rapid growth of long bones. Find out what are the causes and types of aseptic osteonecrosis and how it is treated.

It is assumed thatsterile bone necrosisis a group of diseases that involve disturbances in the blood supply to a specific area of ​​bone tissue without the participation of microorganisms.Bone necrosiscan develop in any bone - specialists distinguish as many as 40 different bone tissue necrosis, the most common in children, during the period of rapid growth of long bones - it affects the base of growing bones: the femoral head , tuberosity of the tibia, calcaneus, and the head of the other metatarsal bone. Necrosis may also involve other bones, such as the spine or pelvis.

Sterile bone necrosis: types

  • Perthes disease - Legg-Calvé-Waldenström-Perthes necrosis, involving the head and neck of the femur
  • Freiberg-Köhler II disease - affects the head of the 2nd or less frequently the 3rd metatarsal
  • Osgood-Schlatter disease - is the tuberosity of the tibia
  • Scheuermann's disease - affects vertebral border plates
  • Köhler I disease - affecting the navicular
  • Kienböck disease - affects the lunate bone
  • Haglund's disease - affects the epiphysis of the calcaneus
  • König's disease - separating osteochondral necrosis of the knee
  • Blount's disease - the varus tibia, the proximal medial part of the metaphysis and epiphysis of the tibia is affected
  • Panner's disease - affects the head of the humerus
  • Preiser's disease - affects the navicular bone

Aseptic bone necrosis: causes

The reasons for the occurrence of sterile bone necrosis are:

  • urazy
  • drugs (steroids, antiviral drugs)
  • alcohol
  • autoimmune diseases - e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis
  • chemotherapy
  • decompression sickness
  • blood diseases (sickle cell anemia)

Aseptic osteonecrosis: symptoms

The patient complains of pain that is slowthey build up and disappear after rest. If the lesion is in the lower limb, walking may be limp. There is local pressure soreness, there may also be swelling and restriction of movement of the affected joint.

Sterile bone necrosis: diagnosis

Aseptic osteonecrosis is determined on the basis of symptoms and radiological examination.

Sterile bone necrosis: treatment

In the case of sterile bone necrosis, the treatment is long-lasting and consists in protecting the dead bone from unfavorable mechanical loads (preventing crushing of the epiphyses), which creates conditions for the reconstruction of the dead bone with the least possible deviations from the normal state. If the changes affect the lower limb, e.g. the femur, the load on the damaged joint must be complete.

Sterile bone necrosis: prognosis

Aseptic necrosis lasts from one to four years depending on the age of the child at which it occurred. Under favorable conditions, it ends without permanent sequelae, especially when it concerns extra-articular necrosis. If these are joint changes, especially in the lower limb, the prognosis is less favorable and depends on early initiation and consistent treatment, the extent of the changes and their location.

Category:

Spine, bones, joints