There may be no symptoms in the early stages of osteonecrosis. Over a period of months, as bones begin to deteriorate, osteonecrosis typically causes minimal to severe pain and restricts movement in the affected joints. The joint may even become unusable.
The hips are the most commonly affected joints, but ankles, knees, shoulders and wrists may also be affected. The disease often affects only one joint, though it is not uncommon for bilateral joints to be affected-for example, both shoulders or both hips.
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