Osteonecrosis of the hip in hematologic disease: A review of conditions and treatment options

Osteonecrosis of the hip can lead to advanced arthritis in typically young patients. Hematologic disorders comprise one group of potential causes. These include sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, aplastic anemia, thalassemia, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Depending on the stage of disease, treatment options include non-operative management, joint-preserving procedures (percutaneous drilling, core decompression, and vascularized or non-vascularized bone grafting), and joint arthroplasty (resurfacing arthroplasty and THA). Numerous small studies have investigated the efficacy of these options in patients who have specific hematologic disorders. Therefore, this report provides a comprehensive review of the osteonecrosis treatment options and results across the spectrum of patients who have various hematologic disorders.