There are numerous causes of avascular necrosis (AVN), which is at its most basic definition when blood flow to a bone is interrupted or reduced.
Numerous mnemonics have been proposed to remember the many causes of AVN. My favorite is probably GIVE INFARCTS:
| GIVE INFARCTS |
| · G- Gaucher disease |
| · I- Idiopathic- Legg-Calve Perthes |
| · V- Vasculitis- SLE, polyarteritis nodosa, RA |
| · E- Environmental- Frost bite, thermal injury |
| · I- Irradiation |
| · N- Neoplasia associated coagulopathy |
| · F- Fat corticosteroids |
| · A- Alcoholism |
| · R- Renal failure dialysis |
| · C- Caisson disease |
| · T- Trauma |
| · S- Sickle cell disease |
Others that have been proposed:
ASEPTIC
- A: alcohol
- S: sickle cell disease/ SLE
- E: exogenous steroid
- P: pancreatitis
- T: trauma
- I: infection
- C: caisson disease
STARS
- S: steriods
- T: trauma
- A: alcohol abuse
- R: radiation osteonecrosis
- S: sickle cell disease
PLASTIC RAGS
- P: pancreatitis
- L: lupus
- A: alcohol
- S: steroids
- T: trauma
- I: idiopathic, infection
- C: caisson disease, collagen vascular disease
- R: radiation, rheumatoid arthritis
- A: amyloid
- G: Gaucher disease
- S: sickle cell disease
References:
1. http://www.pedsradiology.com/Historyanswer.aspx?qid=480&fid=1
2. http://rad.usuhs.mil/medpix/radpix.html?mode=single&recnum=786#pic
Learn about bone infarcts.
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