Sickle Cell Dictionary: Avascular Necrosis

Avascular Necrosis is the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply (MayoClinic). The hip, shoulder, knee, hand and foot are the most affected Joints, In Sickle Cell Warriors the hip and shoulder are the most affected joints.  The symptoms of AVN are pain in your joints( on movement, laying down, and weight bearing) and Reduced movement of joint. AVN is often detected by accident during exams or tests for other reasons, because many people with AVN have NO symptoms. It is crucial to detect AVN before it gets to the end stages and get the proper treatment and team to under go surgery. There will be joint destruction within 3 to 5 years if left untreated.

I was diagnosed with AVN in 6th grade, I was 11 turning 12. I started to have constant pain in my left hip, and it was terrible to walk on. I visited my Hematologist and she ordered an X-Ray for what she hoped it wasn't, Avascular Necrosis. The results came in and it was, I was immediately sent to meet with a Orthopedic doctor. He assessed the severity and came up with the best plan of action, to do surgery asap. There are two surgeries that I could have had a hip replacement or Core Decompression. Because of my age he advised us against a hip replacement, it could stunt my growth and may have needed an additional surgery. We decided to go with Core Decompression, during the surgery they inserted a rod and a screw on to my hip and femur and new bone marrow was inserted to attempt to regenerate blood supply to the area.It was my first surgery EVER and it was pretty major. My mom was very upset over it  and the time leading up to the surgery and afterwards was hard on me and my family. I was on crutches for almost a year and used a wheel chair after the surgery. I lived in my family room in a rented hospital bed and had to depend on my family for EVERYTHING! The worst part about it for me at that time was that it was summer and 2 weeks before my birthday. I couldn't participate in activities like i usually could, but i did get to swim later in the summer which actually helped me. This was the first time in my life that I ever felt disabled and sick. It is a long process to finally being relieved from pain, and "regular" again but it is worth it!

AVN is a common complication of Sickle Cell. Many people have to go through what I did, sometimes worse and sometimes better. It is just another part of living with Sickle Cell!

Stay Strong,
Morgan