I was dx'd with shoulder impingement, tendonitis and bursitis about a year ago. 6 months later x-rays show a hot spot and then a mri confirmed AVN in the shoulder.

This all happened after I pulled all the muscles in my shoulder - so there was a major trauma to the shoulder. But no steriods (except for the cortizone shot given after dr seen hot spot).

Call the trauma of Pulled muscles - which we know can lead to shoulder impingement - also lead to AVN?

-- Barb Susanto (runningdeer@rew2000.com), July 15, 2003

Answers

It is not likely that a muscle pull would lead to AVN (I prefer the term osteonecrosis or ON). It is more likely that the ON occurred spontaneously and then 'came to light' because of the symptoms associated with the muscle pull and the impingement. Small ON lesions are often without symptoms. It is also possible that the changes that were detected on the MRI are the result of a bone bruise and not ON at all. ON of the shoulder is very uncommon. Bone bruises are often associated with bone or joint injury. You should discuss this with you orthopedic surgeon.

DS Hungerford

-- David S. Hungerford, M.D. (dhunger@jhmi.edu), February 03, 2004.

Thank you Dr. Hungerford for your response. The more I read the more I find out - I did more than just pull a few muscles in my shoulder. The ON has been confirmed by MRI and MRI with contrast as well.

So I guess at this time, I suppose we call this idopathy ON - just it's strange the only place I got it was the shoulder that was injured. The other shoulder and bi-lateral hips have also had mri's done on them and other than impingement in the left shoulder from a bone spur - they appear normal.

Barb

-- Barb Susanto (runningdeer@rew2000.com), February 03, 2004.