Hip Replacement and AVN Treatment in Hyderabad — Dr. G. Uday Sekhar Reddy at Pure Ortho Hospitals Sainikpuri
Hyderabad's hospitals have seen a significant increase in avascular necrosis of the hip since 2021. The reason is specific — corticosteroids used during COVID-19 treatment disrupt the blood supply to the femoral head, causing bone death. What makes this particularly significant is the age of the patients: while traditional AVN from alcohol or other causes typically affected those in their 40s and 50s, post-COVID AVN is presenting in people in their 30s — sometimes in both hips simultaneously.
For any patient who received steroids during COVID treatment and has developed groin pain since — even mild and intermittent — an MRI of both hips at Pure Ortho Hospitals, Sainikpuri is the most important next step. What the MRI shows determines whether the joint can still be preserved or whether replacement has become necessary.
What Is Avascular Necrosis of the Hip?
Avascular necrosis (AVN) — also called osteonecrosis — occurs when the blood supply to the femoral head (the ball of the hip joint) is disrupted. Without blood flow, bone cells die. The femoral head progressively weakens, and eventually the bone structure collapses under the load of body weight, destroying the hip joint surface and causing severe pain.
The tragedy of AVN is that it is silent in early stages — mild groin pain that is easy to dismiss. By the time the pain becomes severe, bone collapse has often already occurred, and joint-preserving options are no longer available. MRI is the only investigation that reliably detects AVN before this point.
AVN Stages — Why Timing Matters
Early AVN
MRI shows bone marrow changes. X-ray normal. Femoral head shape intact. Core decompression can halt progression and preserve the joint. This window closes.
Early Collapse
Crescent sign on X-ray. Beginning of femoral head flattening. Partial collapse. Some joint-preserving options still possible depending on extent.
Established Collapse
Significant femoral head collapse and joint space narrowing. Hip replacement is the most effective treatment. No joint-preserving options remain.
Post-COVID AVN — A Specific Hyderabad Concern
Post-COVID AVN — Who Should Get an MRI Now
- Received dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, or other steroids during COVID-19 treatment
- Groin pain or hip pain developing 3-18 months after COVID steroid treatment
- Pain in both hips — bilateral AVN is common in steroid cases
- Age 25-50 — post-COVID AVN is affecting a much younger demographic than traditional AVN
- Even if the groin pain seems mild — AVN is clinically silent in early stages
- X-ray may be completely normal in Stage 1-2 AVN — only MRI detects it early
- The treatment window for joint-preserving core decompression closes once the femoral head collapses
Meet Dr. G. Uday Sekhar Reddy — Hip Replacement Surgeon, Pure Ortho Hospitals Sainikpuri
Dr. G. Uday Sekhar Reddy
Pure Ortho Hospitals, Sainikpuri, Hyderabad
Fellowship in Joint Replacement — Parekhs Hospital, Pune
International Fellowship in Advanced Joint Replacement — Schön Klinik, Germany
Hip replacement, AVN surgery, revision arthroplasty, robotic joint replacement
Hip replacement at Schön Klinik Germany — where Dr. Uday Sekhar Reddy completed his international fellowship — is performed at a volume and complexity level that most Indian training centres do not approach. The fellowship exposure to complex revision cases, unusual anatomy, and high-risk patients translates directly to the quality of primary and complex hip replacement surgery performed at Pure Ortho Hospitals, Sainikpuri.
Hip conditions treated at Pure Ortho Hospitals, Sainikpuri
- Total hip replacement — for end-stage hip arthritis and Stage 3-4 AVN. Ceramic or metal-on-polyethylene bearing options.
- Robotic hip replacement — precise acetabular cup positioning with 3D pre-operative planning. Dr. V.S. Abhilash Kumar S performs robotic hip replacement alongside Dr. Uday Sekhar Reddy.
- Core decompression for AVN — Stage 1-2 AVN. Drilling into the femoral head to decompress pressure and stimulate revascularisation. Joint-preserving — avoids or delays hip replacement.
- Hip replacement for fracture — femoral neck fractures in elderly patients. Hemiarthroplasty or total hip replacement depending on pre-injury function and bone quality.
- Revision hip replacement — replacing a failed previous hip implant. Complex procedure requiring advanced surgical planning. Both Dr. Uday Sekhar Reddy and Dr. Pudari Manoj Kumar (FIRJR) manage revision cases.
- Bilateral hip replacement — simultaneous or staged replacement of both hips. Common in bilateral post-COVID AVN in younger patients.
Get an MRI If You Have
- Received steroids during COVID-19 treatment and have any groin or hip pain since
- Groin pain that worsens with weight-bearing and walking
- Hip pain after hip fracture or dislocation — AVN is a known complication
- Known sickle cell disease, lupus, or heavy alcohol use — all are AVN risk factors
- A normal hip X-ray but persistent groin pain — X-ray misses early AVN
Call Pure Ortho Hospitals, Sainikpuri: 8686868208
Frequently Asked Questions
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Hip Pain or Post-COVID Groin Pain — Get an MRI Today
AVN caught early can be treated without hip replacement. AVN caught late needs replacement. Dr. G. Uday Sekhar Reddy at Pure Ortho Hospitals, Sainikpuri, Hyderabad — the surgeon who trained in Germany — will tell you exactly where you stand.
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This article is for patient education only. Please consult Dr. G. Uday Sekhar Reddy directly at Pure Ortho Hospitals, Sainikpuri for medical advice.