Osteonecrosis
Also known as: Osteonecrosis, unspecified · Aseptic necrosis · Avascular necrosis · Ischemic necrosis · Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
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In short
Osteonecrosis is a disease caused by reduced blood flow to bones in the joints, which causes the bone to break down faster than the body can make enough new bone. The disease can affect one or several bones, most commonly the upper leg, upper arm, knees, shoulders, and ankles. At first, there might not be any symptoms, but as the disease gets worse, joint pain probably becomes more severe and bending or moving the affected joint may be limited. Risk factors include long-term steroid treatment, alcohol misuse, joint injuries, and certain diseases including arthritis and cancer.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
AI-generated summary of the sources cited on this page, checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a clinician; not medical advice.
Codes
Description
Osteonecrosis is a disease caused by reduced blood flow to bones in the joints. In people with healthy bones, new bone is always replacing old bone. In osteonecrosis, the lack of blood causes the bone to break down faster than the body can make enough new bone. The bone starts to die and may break down.
You can have osteonecrosis in one or several bones. It is most common in the upper leg. Other common sites are your upper arm and your knees, shoulders and ankles. The disease can affect men and women of any age, but it usually strikes in your thirties, forties or fifties.
At first, you might not have any symptoms. As the disease gets worse, you will probably have joint pain that becomes more severe. You may not be able to bend or move the affected joint very well.
No one is sure what causes the disease. Risk factors include :
- Long-term steroid treatment
- Alcohol misuse
- Joint injuries
- Having certain diseases, including arthritis and cancer
Doctors use imaging tests and other tests to diagnose osteonecrosis. Treatments include medicines, using crutches, limiting activities that put weight on the affected joints, electrical stimulation and surgery.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Next to it in ICD-10
- M81Osteoporosis (without fracture)
- M85Other bone density and structure disorders
- M86Bone Infections
- M88Paget's Disease of Bone
- M94Other cartilage disorders
- N02Recurrent and persistent blood in the urine
Neighbouring codes in the classification, not a medical link.
External resources
Questions
What is the ICD-10 code for Osteonecrosis?
M87 (WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision).
What is the ICD-11 code for Osteonecrosis?
FB81.Z: Osteonecrosis, unspecified (WHO, ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics).
Sources and attribution
- ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, © World Health Organization, licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0 IGO.
- Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Names other than the official source titles: Anpheros translations and plain-language names, made with AI assistance and checked automatically; the source names are in English.
- ICD-10 codes and titles © World Health Organization. Source: WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (2019).
Anpheros Search catalog 2026.10.5, published 17 October 2026. About the data →
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