I am a 36 yo woman, have been hiv + for last 13 years, on haart for 5 yrs. I have had bone problems since child 8 years old. I would get bone tumours if I banged myself hard, mainly knees & feet. The tumours had to be surgically removed. 8 years ago, I fell, broke my ankle in 3 places and the Tibia in my rt leg. Recently have had acj joint removed in shoulder due to osteoarthritis and also had ac decompression. Recently I am having terrible pain in my hips more on left side than right. I told my GP about it and he has referred me to HIV DR but I am nervous to see him. After doing some internet research I have bdeduced the possibility of either osteonecrosis or osteoporosis. The former thankfully is rarer.

My question is, how can you differentiate between the 2 and what is the chance of a wrong diagnosis of one rather than the other as treatments can be very different. Thank you

Osteonecrosis is a more acute serious process often involving the hipe joints (often termed aseptic necrosis of the hip) which appears to be somewhat more common in HIV persons with a vareity of contributing factors (both HIV-related and non-HIV related). Osteopenia is often a more diffuse loss of calcium/bone strength (if more severe termed osteoporosis). That process usually is a chronic process and is common in aging and more common in HIV+ persons of both sexes. Exercise, Ca and vitamin D, and phosphonates often are used to stabilize and reverse that process. X-rays and DEXA scans as well as history and physical examination can generally distinguish between osteonecrosis and osteoporosis. KH