Surgical Options for Avascular Necrosis

There are some cases of avascular necrosis that cannot be effectively treated with medications and surgery might become necessary for treatment of the joint damage. The surgery that is done is to permanently restore damaged joints.

 The most common surgeries used for treatment of avascular necrosis are:
  

• Total joint replacement; which is also called arthroplasty and is a type of surgery that replaces the damaged joints with artificial ones. This is a common type of surgery where the joint replacements are done according to the patient's condition. This surgical option is best for the arthritic patient in the later stage of the disease when the joints have already been extremely damaged.
• Bone graft; also known as vascular graft and this is a surgical method often described as healthy bone transplant. This surgery uses healthy bones that will be transferred to the damaged segments. The veins and arteries are included in the transplant. This is done in order to supplement the furnishing of blood to the affected bones, to keep them healthy. This is a intricate type of surgery and will take patients undergoing the surgery six to twelve months to recovery.
• Osteotomy is a surgical technique used for bone reshaping.  This type of surgery will help reduce stress from the affected joint and is very effective method for AVN conditions that are in an advanced stage. This is a procedure done where large bone segments are already infected. The healing period from this surgery may range from three to twelve months.