Hip Avascular Necrosis (AVN)
Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (avascular necrosis)
Understanding avascular necrosis
Avascular necrosis — also called osteonecrosis — means the blood supply to the ball of the hip (the femoral head) has been reduced, which can weaken the bone over time. It's a condition your care team will follow closely, because how it behaves varies a lot from person to person. The aim of this program is to keep the hip strong, mobile, and well-supported with low-impact activity while you and your care team watch how things progress together.
Working closely with your care team
AVN is a diagnosis that's monitored, and your care team will guide the specifics for your hip — including how much to put through it and whether any restrictions apply. This program is the movement-and-strength side of that partnership, designed to be gentle on the joint. Always let your care team's guidance lead; if they've given you weight-bearing or activity limits, those come first.
What you might be feeling
AVN often shows up as a deep ache in the groin or front of the hip, sometimes more noticeable with weight-bearing and easing with rest. Early on some people have little pain at all and the diagnosis comes from a scan. Symptoms can come and go. If anything changes or you're unsure how you're doing, your care team is the best place to check.
Why low-impact matters here
With AVN, the emphasis is on keeping the hip moving and strong without pounding it. Low-impact activity — a stationary bike, swimming, walking within comfort — keeps the joint nourished and the muscles working while being kind to the bone. We steer away from high-impact loading (running, jumping) and let comfort and your care team's guidance set the pace.
The key: strong, supported hips
Strong glutes and a steady core support the hip and help it move efficiently, which can ease symptoms and keep you active. The strengthening in this program is built to load the muscles around the hip while staying gentle on the joint itself — that balance is the point.
How this program is built
Each session is low-impact by design: a gentle warm-up (a stationary bike is ideal), range-of-motion, and glute and core strengthening. We build gradually and stay within comfort. If a movement brings on sharp or deepening pain, ease off it and check in with your care team — with AVN it's worth being attentive.
Staying active day to day
Keep the hip moving in kind ways: cycling, swimming, and comfortable walking are your friends; sitting for long stretches stiffens things up. If your care team has suggested a cane or limiting how far you walk on a given day, follow that. Managing overall health — and any factors your care team has flagged — supports the bone too.
Other treatment options
Activity modification and strengthening are the conservative foundation, especially earlier on. Your care team may also discuss medications, addressing contributing factors, and close imaging follow-up. If AVN progresses, procedures such as core decompression or, in time, a hip replacement are effective options — decisions you'll make together. This program supports you wherever you are in that picture.
Tracking how you're doing
Your quick daily check-in — how the hip feels, what you've been doing — gives you and your care team a shared view of how things are trending, which is especially useful for a condition that's being followed over time. It's a simple way to stay in the loop together. It is not a monitoring or warning system.
This guide is general education, not medical advice, and doesn't replace evaluation by a licensed provider. For urgent symptoms, contact your care team or call 911.