| Popis: |
Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the humeral head is an uncommon clinical entity which can result in significant morbidity for patients. Compared to femoral head AVN, the volume of literature concerning humeral head AVN is a distant second. This could be due to the relatively rarity of the condition and poorly understood nature. Despite being first described decades ago, the underlying pathophysiology leading to humeral head AVN is still poorly defined. Numerous causes have been identified, which only adds to the complexity of the condition. While the staging of humeral head AVN is well described, not much is known about prognosticating factors to predict the eventual course of the disease. Most of the management options so far are based on that of femoral head AVN, and even so, there is a paucity of good quality clinical trials in the literature. This current concept paper describes what is known about humeral head AVN from the literature thus far, and attempts to propose a possible management algorithm to guide clinicians. |
