Osteonecrosis (ON) is associated with traumatic (e.g., vascular trauma, dislocations, etc.), non-traumatic (e.g., infections, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.) and iatrogenic conditions (e.g., corticosteroids, radiation exposure, etc.). Most of the literature examining the risk of ON focuses on either the hip in adults, the jaw in association with bisphosphonates, ON related to childhood onset conditions such as sickle cell anemia, or ON related to corticosteroid use for the treatment of conditions such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA) are potentially at high risk for ON because of the underlying disease pathology and/or the widespread use of corticosteroids to manage pain and physical disability. It is estimated that around 37% of adults aged 60+ years have radiographic knee OA and the estimated lifetime risk of symptomatic OA in at least one knee is around 45%, with the risk further increasing among those with a history of knee injury or high body mass index (BMI).
Last date updated on December, 2024