After the Covid-19 global pandemic in India, serious hip related diseases are increasing rapidly among the youth. Now cases of hip arthritis and avascular necrosis (AVN) are increasingly being reported even in people aged 30 to 40 years. Earlier it was considered a disease of only the elderly. According to health experts, there has been an increase of about 40 percent in hip replacement surgeries in the country.
Let us tell you that avascular necrosis is a condition in which due to obstruction of blood circulation in the hip bone, tissue loss begins. It is a painful condition, which is especially seen in young and middle-aged adults.
Damage to hip joints increases rapidly
At the second Delhi Hip 360 conference held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in New Delhi on Sunday, experts warned that damage to hip joints has increased rapidly in the post-Covid era and the demand for total hip replacement (THR) surgery has increased across the country.
Delhi Orthopedic Association organized this conference in collaboration with Indian Arthroplasty Association. Experts said that avascular necrosis was once seen mainly in the elderly or trauma patients, but now this problem is increasingly affecting individuals in the age group of 30 to 40 years.
Difficult to walk due to this disease
In many cases, due to late diagnosis, the disease progresses slowly, until the hip joint is completely damaged, resulting in difficulty in walking and total hip surgery is required to lead a normal life again. Dr. L Tomar, organizing chairman of Delhi Hip 360 and director of the department of orthopedics and joint replacement at Max Hospital, Delhi, said, a 40 percent increase has been recorded in hip surgeries among the youth.
Steroids caused harm
He said that steroids played a life-saving role during the Covid pandemic, but in some patients, excessive use or prolonged use of them led to an increase in osteonecrosis and changes in the hip joint. Dr. Tomar said that now we are seeing relatively young patients who are coming with complaints of severe hip damage, damage to the femur head and serious arthritis problems and they need immediate hip surgery.
Treatment of avascular necrosis
Dr. Tomar said that early diagnosis is very important because if avascular necrosis is detected in the early stages, then joint-protecting procedures can be possible before it causes problems to the hip. Research published in international orthopedic journals showed that steroid-induced avascular necrosis can develop within a few months, with the hip joint most commonly affected.
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