After black fungus or mucormycosis made matters worse for patients who recovered from COVID-19, now three survivors in Mumbai have been detected with avascular necrosis (AVN), or death of bone tissues. The patients, all aged below 40, are undergoing treatment in Mumbai’s PD Hinduja Hospital. They developed AVN two months after they suffered COVID-19.
Doctors say both AVN and mucormycosis are associated with the usage of steroids during the COVID treatment.
What is AVN?
Avascular Necrosis, also called osteonecrosis, is the death of bone tissue when blood supply doesn’t reach the hip joint.
It can lead to tiny breakages in the bone and its eventual collapse. Besides, the bone can lose its smooth shape, potentially leading to severe arthritis.
Avascular Necrosis is common in people between 30 and 50 years of age.
Symptoms
Many people have no symptoms in the early stages, but pain and stiffness in joints shouldn’t be taken lightly. The pain can be mild or severe and usually develops gradually. If there is a pain in groin, thigh or buttock, it could be a symptom of avascular necrosis of the hip. Besides the hip, shoulder, knee, hand and foot can also be affected.
Those with the condition may also experience difficulty in climbing stairs or limp while walking.
Some people develop avascular necrosis on both sides of their bodies.
Causes
It is to be noted that in around 25 percent of AVN patients, the cause of interrupted blood flow is unknown, but it could be caused due to any of the following:
Prevention
Maintaining one’s general health is the best prevention for any disease, but here are some measures that can be followed:
How AVN is diagnosed?
The disease is diagnosed through a physical examination of joint areas by a doctor, followed by imaging tests, which pinpoint the source of pain. Imaging test options include X-ray, MRI and CT scan, and bone scan.
Treatment
The goal is to prevent further bone loss. In the early stages of avascular necrosis, symptoms might be eased with medication and therapy like electrical stimulation where currents might encourage your body to grow new bone in place of the damaged one.
If the avascular necrosis is fairly advanced, the doctor might recommend surgery.
