"Expected to be unable to walk for several months"... The real reason Choi Jun-hee had to lose weight through diet alone [Health Talk]

[Financial News] Influencer Choi Jun-hee, 23, who made headlines after losing 55 kg while overcoming a past battle with lupus, revealed that she has stopped exercising after being diagnosed with hip necrosis and is awaiting artificial joint surgery. 
On September 30, Choi Jun-hee said on her social media, "I was diagnosed with hip necrosis, so I couldn't exercise even though I wanted to," adding, "It was the same when I was dieting for my wedding, and I am currently losing weight with a diet focused on Korean food."
She continued, "If my condition allows, I want to exercise again and have a body profile photoshoot," adding, "I will not be able to walk for several months after undergoing artificial joint surgery next February, but once I have a robotic joint fitted, I will exercise energetically."

The precise medical term for this condition, commonly called "hip necrosis," is avascular necrosis of the femoral head, also known as osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). It is a difficult-to-treat condition in which insufficient blood supply to the rounded head of the thigh bone, or femur, where it meets the pelvic bone causes bone tissue to die. The joint eventually collapses, resulting in severe pain and walking difficulties.
The main causes include excessive alcohol consumption, trauma, and long-term or high-dose use of steroids, or corticosteroid preparations. Choi Jun-hee's case was also a complication of the high-dose steroids she received while being treated for the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Steroids are considered one of the major causes because they can induce lipid accumulation in blood vessels, block microvessels, or increase blood viscosity, cutting off blood flow to the femoral head. Experts explain that dieting or strenuous exercise did not cause the condition.
ONFH is difficult to detect early because it may initially cause no noticeable symptoms or begin with only mild pain in the pelvis or thigh. However, once the necrosis progresses and the bone begins to collapse, severe, stabbing pain develops in the groin when sitting cross-legged or walking. The affected leg may also become shorter, causing the person to limp.
In the early stages, when the necrosis is not severe, joint-preserving treatments such as medication, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, or core decompression, which involves drilling holes in the bone to reduce pressure, may be attempted. However, if collapse of the femoral head has already progressed or joint destruction is severe at stages 3 or 4, artificial joint replacement surgery, in which the damaged joint is replaced with metal or ceramic components, becomes unavoidable.
Experts stress that people with a history of taking high-dose steroids for autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, allergies, or other illnesses should immediately visit an orthopedic clinic and undergo detailed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) if they experience a dull ache in the hip or groin, even without any obvious trauma. The earlier the condition is detected, the more effectively the patient's own joint can be preserved and the timing of surgery delayed. 
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter