Tag: Osteonecrosis

According to research, high-dose or long-term prednisone use is a known risk factor for avascular necrosis, a condition where bone tissue dies from lack of blood supply, and this can cause shoulder pain. It is essential to be aware of the potential musculoskeletal complications associated with this powerful corticosteroid medication.

Corticosteroids like prednisone are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs, but a 2014 study found that 65% of patients on daily steroid regimens for over a year reported leg weakness. This highlights a common paradox: a medication used to treat joint pain can, over time, lead to significant muscle and bone issues that make joints feel weak after taking prednisone.

Systemic corticosteroid use is implicated in nearly one-third of all avascular necrosis (AVN) cases, making it the leading cause of non-traumatic osteonecrosis [1.3.3, 1.3.5]. Understanding **what medicines can cause AVN** is the first step in risk management and prevention.

According to a study involving patients taking high-dose steroids, those concurrently on statin therapy had a significantly lower incidence of avascular necrosis (AVN) than typically expected. This counters the idea that can statins cause avascular necrosis and highlights a protective, rather than causative, role of these cholesterol-lowering drugs in some high-risk scenarios.