Indications for Surgery
Stress fractures are small cracks in the bone which are typically caused by overuse and repetitive activity. This fracturing (breaking) of the bone is associated with symptoms of pain with weightbearing, stiffness and swelling. Avascular necrosis (AVN), or osteonecrosis, is a condition where a portion of the bone dies because its blood supply is interrupted by injury, clotting disorders (sickle cell anemia, systemic lupus erythematoss), medications/drugs (steroids/alcohol), or other medical conditions that increase the risk for AVN. After the vascular insult, the bone attempts to heal and repair itself and sometimes can with rest and avoiding weightbearing. However, just like stress fractures of the bone, if activity isn’t restricted, AVN causes the bone to fracture (crack/break), collapse and resorb.
