Twenty-Three-Year-Old Collegiate Soccer Athlete With Bilateral Femoral Head Avascular Necrosis: A Case Report

Abstract

A 23-year-old collegiate club soccer player reported to his athletic trainer right hip flexor pain and no recalled mechanism. Diagnostic imaging revealed bilateral avascular necrosis (AVN) of both femoral heads. Medical intervention included bilateral core decompression surgery. The majority of reported AVN cases are pediatric patients and adults over 50 years old, following trauma (i.e., femoral fracture) being the main risk factor. Although not seen often in athletic populations, athletic trainers should be aware of the possibility of AVN in patients. AVN is a life-altering condition and accurately documenting all patient encounters, and proper interprofessional collaboration is imperative for positive outcomes.