Avascular necrosis of femoral head (AVN) is a pathological process arising from occluded blood vessels supplying to the bones. It generally affects the people during 3rd to 5th decade of life. It is also known as osteonecrosis, aseptic necrosis and ischemic necrosis where ischaemia due to interrupted blood supply is the main cause of the death of the bone marrow cells. The epiphysis of the long bones and is generally affected and it is most commonly seen in the femur. In Early stages patient usually does not have symptoms, but as the disease get worsens, it becomes painful. In early stages, changes are not visible on plain radiograph and MRI is the most specific modality to diagnose AVN, in later stages MRI shows “crescent sign”, i.e. flattening of articular surface with joint space loss.Pathology of AVN is not clearly defined yet but it is assumed that osteonecrosis/aseptic necrosis occurs due to various traumatic and non-traumatic causes which interrupts blood supply to the bone. Occlusion to blood flow to the bone causes the death of bone marrow and osteocytes leading to collapse of the necrotic segment. Commonest traumatic causes are femoral neck fracture and dislocation in hip joint which include dislocation of femoral head from acetabulum. It may include variety of non traumatic causes like intake of excess alcohol, high-dose corticosteroids, smoking, trauma, sickle cell disease, coagulopathy, chronic inflammatory disease, and infections such as human immunodeficiency

AVN is caused due to the injury or any occlusion in the blood vessels which provides circulation to the bone tissue. AVN of femur head is that the most typical type of necrosis of the bones. It generally affects people between age of 30 to 50 years. AVN of femoral head is also classified mainly into 2 types:

The arteries which supply the femoral head area are very tiny and thus area is simply susceptible to injury followed by mere dislocation or a sub capital fracture (near the head) of femur.

This ends up in the necrosis of femoral head. In the other, the arteries become occluded the reason behind it is not identified. It may be asymptomatic within the starting however later delicate to severe degree of pain is seen in conjunction with change within the gait. AVN of femoral head presents with groin pain that radiates down towards anteromedial thigh. Change within range of motion i.e. abduction, adduction, flexion and extension are found.

Similarly in Ayurveda, one of the presentations of AVN could be considered as Asthi-majjagata vata due to similar signs and symptoms. Wide range of treatment modalities have been mentioned in Ayurveda that are effective in such manifestationsl

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