Complications

The most important complication of painful sickling crisis is avascular necrosis of the relevant bone, which is probably most important when it occurs in the femoral head. However, avascular necrosis of any long bone may result in deformity.

Reference

1. Martí-Carvajal AJ, Solà I, Agreda-Pérez LH. Treatment for avascular necrosis of bone in people with sickle cell disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019 Dec 5;(12):CD004344.