(PRWEB) June 30, 2012

Regenerative medicine may help with Avascular Necrosis, according to A. J. Farshchian MD an Orthopedic Regenerative physician at the Center for Regenerative Medicine.

Avascular necrosis can be quite devastating, and lead to total loss of the ankle joint with arthritis, deformity and pain. Loss of blood supply to the bone can be caused by an injury (trauma-related avascular necrosis) When a joint is injured, as in a fracture or dislocation, the blood vessels may be damaged. This can interfere with the blood circulation to the bone and lead to trauma-related avascular necrosis. Studies suggest that this type of avascular necrosis may develop in more than 20 percent of people who dislocate their hip joint.

Some medicines such as Corticosteroids are commonly used to treat diseases in which there is inflammation, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and vasculitis. Studies suggest that long-term, systemic (oral or intravenous) corticosteroid use is associated with 1/3 of all cases of non-traumatic avascular necrosis. The current theory is corticosteroids may interfere with the body's ability to break down fatty substances. These substances then build up in and clog the blood vessels, causing them to narrow. This makes less blood to gets to the bone. Excessive alcohol use and corticosteroid use are two of the most common causes of non- traumatic avascular necrosis. In people who drink an excessive amount of alcohol, fatty substances may block blood vessels causing a decreased blood supply to the bones that results in avascular necrosis.

Other risk factors or conditions associated with non-traumatic avascular necrosis include Gaucher's disease, pancreatitis, radiation treatments and chemotherapy, and blood disorders such as sickle cell disease. Avascular necrosis strikes both men and women and affects people of all ages. It is most common among people in their thirties and forties. Depending on a person's risk factors and whether the underlying cause is trauma, it also can affect younger or older people.

In the early stages of avascular necrosis, patients may not have any symptoms. As the disease progresses, however, most patients experience joint painat first, only when putting weight on the affected joint, and then even when resting. Pain usually develops gradually and may be mild or severe. If avascular necrosis progresses and the bone and surrounding joint surface collapses, pain may develop or increase dramatically. Pain may be severe enough to limit the patient's range of motion in the affected joint. The period of time between the first symptoms and loss of joint function is different for each patient, ranging from several months to more than a year.

The Center for Regenerative Medicine in Miami, Florida concentrates on helping arthritic and injured people to get back to a functional level of life and their activities using non-surgical techniques and Orthopedic medicine. The center's expertise is in treatment of conditions of spine, knees, shoulders and other cartilage damages. We have developed non-surgical and rehabilitation techniques focused on treatment and management of joint pain. Our team includes health professionals organized around a central theme.

Continued here:
Regenerative Medicine is Now being Used for Treatment of Avascular Necrosis

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