Regional migratory osteoporosis in the knee: MRI findings in 22 patients and review of the literature.
OBJECTIVE
Acute non-traumatic bone marrow edema (BME) in the knee is a common clinical problem. The aim of the present study is to present the MR imaging findings of the uncommon transient migratory pattern of this syndrome.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients (21 men, 1 woman, age range 35-73 years, mean 49.4+/-7.6) who presented with pain in the knee joint (ranging from 2 weeks to 6 months) and BME in the MR imaging examination, were included in the study. In all cases, the knee joint BME was either preceded or followed by another site of BME in the same or another joint. All patients were studied with plain X-rays and MR imaging at presentation and with MR imaging after resolution of symptoms.


RESULTS
The eight patients with initial involvement in the knee showed migration either intra-articularly (5), or/and in the contralateral knee (2) and only 1 case showed migration to the ipsilateral hip joint. In two patients the BME shifted from the hip first to the foot and then to the knee. The median migration period was 4 months for the second involvement in all patients and 3 months for the third involvement (10 patients).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study reports the largest series of patients with regional migratory osteoporosis involving the knee. In most of the cases, shifting of BME remains in the joint or moves to the contralateral knee. In only one case the BME shifted from the knee elsewhere. All lesions were transient.
Karantanas
Apostolos H
AH
Department of Radiology, University of Crete, Heraklion 711 10, Greece. apolsen@yahoo.com
Nikolakopoulos
Ioannis
I
Korompilias
Anastasios V
AV
Apostolaki
Eleni
E
Skoulikaris
Nicolaos
N
Eracleous
Eleni
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001855:Bone Marrow Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004487:Edema / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013577:Syndrome