HIV positive patient with bilateral osteonecrosis of the femoral head, a case report

Introduction and importance: Avascular necrosis (AVN), also known as osteonecrosis, refers to the death of bone tissue due to the lack of blood supply. Osteonecrosis in HIV can be a complication of the ART's or the disease itself. Clinical presentation: 47 years old male, HIV positive for 10 years on Antiretroviral-therapy had gradual onset of bilateral hip pain for 6 months, progressively and sharp in nature, aggravated by movement and relieved by resting with reduced range of movement, wheel chair dependent 2 months. No history of fever, cough, night sweats or weight loss. No history of trauma, steroid use or hormonal therapy and no history of alcohol intake. On Examination he had bilateral inguinal and hip tenderness, pain on movement, with reduced flexion and extension of the hip. His viral-load was 27copies/ml of blood. Complete blood count was unremarkable. Serum lipid panel had no evidence of hypertriglyceridemia. He was diagnosed with bilateral femoral heads Avascular-necrosis. Bilateral ceramic with polyethylene liner uncemented total hip arthroplasty was done. No complications observed, in 6 months of follow up he had Harris hip score of 90 and he had returned to his activities without hip pain complaints/complications. Discussion: The management of AVN is usually total hip arthroplasty, but other surgical treatment includes, hemiarthroplasty, core-decompression and girdle stone arthroplasty, the latter has poor outcomes in-terms of quality of life. Conclusion: Understanding causes and mechanism of AVN is crucial for effective management and treatment, particularly when addressing cases such as in our patient with HIV induced osteonecrosis of both femoral heads, surgical treatment should aid on relieving pain and improving patient's quality of life.