musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Osteonecrosis (ON)
Prevention of Osteonecrosis
Risk of osteonecrosis caused by corticosteroids can be minimized by using them only when essential and by giving them in as low a dose as needed and for as short a duration as possible. Patients should be informed of this complication when long-term and/or high-dose corticosteroid use is anticipated. To prevent osteonecrosis caused by Decompression Sickness , people should follow accepted rules for decompression when diving and when working in pressurized environments. Excessive alcohol use and smoking should be discouraged. Evidence for the efficacy of various medications (eg, anticoagulants, vasodilators, lipid-lowering drugs) for prevention of osteonecrosis in patients at high risk is limited and inconclusive. 