What Researchers Did
Turkish researchers compared patients who developed avascular necrosis (AVN), bone tissue death caused by loss of blood supply, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, to see whether COVID-19 changed who gets AVN and how severe it is.
What They Found
AVN cases increased significantly after the pandemic. Post-pandemic AVN patients had a higher rate of femoral head (hip) involvement and more advanced disease stages compared to pre-pandemic patients. COVID-19 infection itself and high-dose steroid use to treat COVID-19 were identified as likely contributors to this increase.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadians who had COVID-19, especially those who were treated with high-dose steroids, should be aware of an increased risk of AVN, particularly in the hip. Unexplained joint pain after COVID-19 should prompt a bone scan or MRI. This study supports early HBOT referral as a treatment option before AVN reaches a surgical stage.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified. Avascular necrosis is not a standard OHIP-covered indication for HBOT, though HBOT is used for AVN treatment in some Canadian hyperbaric programs.
Study Limitations
This retrospective study compared only 3 PSH patients against 50 controls for some analyses, and confounding factors like pre-existing conditions and steroid dose are not fully controlled.