Also called: Aseptic necrosis · Avascular necrosis · Ischemic necrosis
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Osteonecrosis
Osteonecrosis is a disease caused by reduced blood flow to bones in the joints. In people with healthy bones, new bone is always replacing old bone. In osteonecrosis, the lack of blood causes the bone to break down faster than the body can make enough new bone. The bone starts to die and may break down.
You can have osteonecrosis in one or several bones. It is most common in the upper leg. Other common sites are your upper arm and your knees, shoulders and ankles. The disease can affect men and women of any age, but it usually strikes in your thirties, forties or fifties.
At first, you might not have any symptoms. As the disease gets worse, you will probably have joint pain that becomes more severe. You may not be able to bend or move the affected joint very well.
No one is sure what causes the disease. Risk factors include :
- Long-term steroid treatment
- Alcohol misuse
- Joint injuries
- Having certain diseases, including arthritis and cancer
Doctors use imaging tests and other tests to diagnose osteonecrosis. Treatments include medicines, using crutches, limiting activities that put weight on the affected joints, electrical stimulation and surgery.
It sits within Bones, Joints and Muscles.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Osteonecrosis
372 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Topical Oxygen Therapy for BRONJMansoura University
- Alendronate for Osteonecrosis in Adults With Sickle Cell DiseaseUniversity of California, Davis
- Persona OsseoTi Keel Compatibility Study (Total Knee Arthroplasty)Zimmer Biomet
- Database Retrieval for the Comprehensive ShoulderZimmer Biomet
- Early Warning and Risk Prediction of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the JawHospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University
- EMPHASYS Cup Positioning in THA With Non-Invasive Navigation (Velys Hip Navigation (VHN))DePuy Orthopaedics
Research already completed
- Hypertension Intervention to Reduce Osteonecrosis in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia/LymphomaSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Sidus(TM) Post Market Clinical Follow-up (PMCF) StudyZimmer Biomet
- Triple-Modal Therapy in Early-Stage Femoral Head Osteonecrosis (TM-ONFH)Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Avascular Necrosis (Osteonecrosis)Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- OsteonecrosisNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- OsteonecrosisAmerican College of Rheumatology
Diagnosis and Tests
- Body CTRadiological Society of North America
- Bone ScanMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Bone X-RayRadiological Society of North America
Treatments and Therapies
- Bone Grafts: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
- Hip Replacement SurgeryNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Genetics
- Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Legg-Calve-Perthes DiseaseNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: OsteonecrosisNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Osteonecrosis. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Osteonecrosis, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.