Avascular necrosis

What it means

A disease where there is cellular death (necrosis) of bone components due to interruption of the blood supply.

The interruption of the blood supply may have many different causes such as rapid growth, heredity causes, trauma or overuse, anatomic conformation, dietary imbalances or secondary effects of other diseases.

In everyday care

Most people with this sign do not have a rare disease — it appears in common conditions far more often. These general reference pages cover the same topic:

Rare diseases that can present with this33

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Aseptic bone necrosis · Aseptic necrosis · Bone infarction · Ischaemic bone necrosis · Ischemic bone necrosis · Osteochondronecrosis · Osteonecrosis