Osteonecrosis of the hip in adults

Atraumatic osteonecrosis in adults most commonly presents in the hip. The specific etiology and pathogenesis is often uncertain, and we will review some of the specific theories regarding the development of this disease. The utility of radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and staging of osteonecrosis will also be presented. We include a summary of the different non-surgical and surgical treatment options. Early, pre-collapse, disease often has a better prognosis with head-sparing treatment options available such as core decompression and bone grafting. More advanced disease may require total hip or resurfacing arthroplasty.