Is osteonecrosis of the femur a disease of the elderly?

  Many people have always thought that osteonecrosis of the femur is the patent of the middle-aged and elderly, and that young people do not have to worry about the femoral head. But this is not the case, experts pointed out that the age of onset of femoral head necrosis is now decreasing year by year, young people suffering from this disease is no longer a novelty. Femoral head necrosis is the main cause of hip joint dysfunction, which can make people walk, limited motor function, and even cause lower limb paralysis. The average age of onset of non-traumatic osteonecrosis in Europe and the United States is only 38 years.  There are two main causes of non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femur – the use of glucocorticoids (prednisone, cortisone, dexamethasone, etc.) and alcohol abuse. The reason for the relatively low age of onset of our patients is related to the abuse of hormones in medical treatment and the uncontrolled drinking of alcohol by young people.  The mention of osteonecrosis of the femoral head is easily associated with geriatric disease, but it is not. The majority of patients with traumatic femoral head necrosis caused by femoral neck fracture and acetabular fracture are indeed middle-aged and elderly. In contrast, 70%-80% of the patients with non-traumatic osteonecrosis are young and middle-aged.