Osteonecrosis and Medical Malpractice in New York

According to statistics, an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 patients are newly diagnosed with osteonecrosis each year in the United States. This condition is the underlying diagnosis in roughly 10 percent of all total hip replacements, or THR, in the country.

Although osteonecrosis can develop in any age group, most patients are between the ages of 20 and 50, with the late 30s as the average age. The diagnosis of this condition does not have an effect on life expectancy, which is why there are several hundred thousand patients living with osteonecrosis in the US alone.

What is Osteonecrosis?

Also known as avascular necrosis (AVN), aseptic necrosis, ischemic necrosis and atraumatic necrosis, osteonecrosis (ON) is a relatively new disease in the world of medicine, which is why its causes are no fully understood yet. It is an extremely painful condition in which the bone's blood supply is compromised or cut off, eventually leading the joint or bone to wither away and collapse.

ON typically affects the body's larger moving joints like the elbow, knee or hip. Once the disease develops, the only cure is THR, which involves the removal of the dead bone and placing an artificial limb, usually ceramic, plastic or metal, in the body.

What are the Causes of Osteonecrosis?

Traumatic injuries, such as dislocation or hip fracture, can cause osteonecrosis to develop if for any period of time, there has been a cut-off of blood supply. If there has been no traumatic injury, it is much more difficult to determine the cause of the disease.

While the etiology and exact causes of non-traumatic osteonecrosis are unknown, experts in the medical world recognize a number of known risk factors, such as blood disorders, alcohol abuse, traumatic injury, high-dose steroid use and autoimmune disorders such as Lupus.

Cases of Malpractice Involving Osteonecrosis

There have been cases where patients developed osteonecrosis due to mistakes made by their doctor. People who have injured themselves in slip-and-fall accidents have been prescribed epidural steroid injections to help relieve their pain, resulting in the development of osteonecrosis of the hip. There have also been cases where patients were prescribed high doses of steroids to treat certain disorders, leading to the disease developing in both hips.

In such cases, patients can sue their doctor for medical malpractice. They will require the services of an experienced New York attorney to help them as medical malpractice cases can be complex and continue for a long period of time. They also require medical experts to testify on their behalf as well as thorough research and investigation.

Get Legal Help in New York for Osteonecrosis

If you or a loved one in New York has developed osteonecrosis due to medical negligence on your doctor's part, you should immediately seek the legal expertise of the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, & Wolff of RMFW Law at 212-344-1000. Give us a call today!

We know how to win these types of cases. We have the medical experts which are required to back up your case if your case is viable. Without these medical experts or at least one of them, your case is not going anywhere and we may not even have a case.

RMFW Law is not paid until you are paid. We will keep you informed every step of the way. The first meeting is free. Call RMFW Law ASAP!