I was recently diaginosed with Osteoncrosis in my left knee. My doctor didn't tell what stage or anything. He said sometimes the bones will start to heal thenselves I have not read anything to this aspect yet. So I guess my question is has anyone ever had the bone start healing on it's own and what do I have to look forward to over thenext six months ? Thats how long he said he would need to watch me and decide if I need a knee replacement. I'm scared and am looking for some suggesting on what I should be asking the doc.. about this disease. What are the real important questions. Should i demand more testing on my other joints. I'm rambling sorry. Thank in advance for your help

-- Brenda Wilson (blwilson@attbi.com), July 26, 2002

Answers

Hi Brenda,

I can imagine what you are going through, I was diagnosed with ON in both my hips in April and the Drs were saying I had better hurry up and get core decompression surgery rigth away. I was trying to accept the diagnosis but wanted to be sure I investigated it further so I decoded to take 3 weeks to learn more about the disease and look for specialists. The thing that gave me pause was that I seemed to fall in the 50% of cases that was not associated with known causes, I fit non of the profiles with the exception of being the right age, and my symptoms seemed to fit the diagnosis.

2 weeks later (I had been suffering since the beginning of Feb with debilitating pain on walking) the pain miraculously stopped. I still went on with getting a third and then 4th opinion. One dr said it was not unusual for the poain to stop temporarily with ON and still suggested surgery the next week. The fourth guy I saw said, from the MRI (not the Xrays) it was apparent something was going on in both hips, but he seemed to think it was not conclusively ON or Transient Osteoarthritus which has the same symptoms and effect, but treatments are polar opposites. He said as long as I was still pain free, wait 3 months and get another MRI done. I have been pain free since the end of April this year and have an appt the 1st week in September fror the folloow up MRI.

I think its a good sign your Dr is aware of this possiobility of spontaneous healing and is giving your body time to do so. I know the pain can be excrutiating, but thought you should be aware of at least one person who did spontaneously heal. If you have a known risk factor with the disease, thats another story.

ON Yahoo Groups there is an ON and AVN support group where you can post your questions and get alot of support and information.

Best of luck to you

Rhonda

-- Rhonda Morgenstern (Rhondam@aol.com), July 26, 2002.

Brenda, Join our ON/AVN Support Group International and we will help you get through this. Numbering more than 6,000 members worldwide now, we are the officially endorsed patient support system for ON/AVN by the National Osteonecrosis Foundation (NONF). Please do join the NONF as well. To get started, here is the link to our support group: http://members.aol.com/MarieS1520/2bkn.html

All links to the NONF and much, much more can be found through our group. You can visit the NONF's website at http://www.nonf.org

Good luck to you, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Marie Shanahan ON/AVN Support Group Int'l, Founder/Director NONF/Director

-- Marie Shanahan (AVNrie@aol.com), July 21, 2003.

Brenda Sorry to hear of your diagnosis. It is real scary. I have been trying to do ewverything to avoids the realization of more surgery. I have never heard of bones healing if you are diagnosed with AVN. I believe if you catch it fast you can save the bone with a graph. CHeck out DR URbanick at Duke. I am certainly the wrong person to tell you not to be scared. I have been doing everything to get out of being afraid of the next surgery.My advice is to keep a positive attitude and when it is time to do the surgery I guess buck up. I would get an MRI to confirm AVN. My other advice is to wait as long as you can before surgery..almost till you cant walk...The rcoup is a bear and there are complications. I still have pain and pop in my replaced side and stairs are a chore. Get a good surgeon. Hope you do ok. Mike

-- michael (mhirschhaut@prodigy.net), January 23, 2004.

Brenda, HI, I am 24 years old and I have avascular necrosis in both of my knees. I was diagnosed about 3-4 years ago and my doctor told me the same thing your dr told you. He said the bone could regrow on its own if I took it easy on my knees. He said no running, jumping, stair climbing, or anything that would cause extra stress on my knees. Well that is kind of hard for a 20 year old athletic male to do. It had been four years since I had seen an orthapedic dr. I went about three weeks ago and go MRI's of both my knees. I guess they have gotten worse since four years ago. He said I needed knee replacements but I should wait as long as possible to get them. He also said I should get another opinion from a specalist. I developed AVN from long term steroid use. I had leukemis when I was 16, and AVN is a side effect of the prednisone and decadron. I guess my point is I wouldn't consider surgery right away. I have went four years since my diagnosis and I haven't needed surgery yet. I plan to go as long as possible. Depending on your pain level if I were you I might try the same thing. I can't say your AVN will progress as slow as mine, and I don't know how much pain you can bear. But I think you might try to take it easy on your knees and see what happens. Good Luck! Eric B

-- eric joseph bennett (ericjbennett@hotmail.com), February 22, 2005.