These substances then build up in and clog the blood vessels, causing them to narrow. This reduces the amount of blood that gets to the bone. Alcohol Use Excessive alcohol use and corticosteroid use are two of the most common causes of non- traumatic avascular necrosis. In people who drink an excessive amount of alcohol, fatty substances may block blood vessels causing a decreased blood supply to the bones that results in avascular necrosis. Other Risk Factors Other risk factors or conditions associated with non-traumatic avascular necrosis include Gaucher s disease, pancreatitis, radiation treatments and chemotherapy, decompression disease, and blood disorders such as sickle cell disease.
Avascular necrosis strikes both men and women and affects people of all ages.
It is most common among people in their thirties and forties. Depending on a person s risk factors and whether the underlying cause is trauma, it also can affect younger or older people. In the early stages of avascular necrosis, patients may not have any symptoms. As the disease progresses, however, most patients experience joint pain at first, only when putting weight on the affected joint, and then even when resting. Pain usually develops gradually and may be mild or severe.