Cancellous bone edema: what is it and how is it treated?

Edema consists of an accumulation of fluids; in particular, bone spongy edema, or bone edema, occurs when fluid builds up in the bone marrow.

This type of edema is usually a response to an injury such as a fracture or special conditions, such as arthritis e arthrosis; bone spongy edema, usually, resolves with rest and physical therapy.

Diagnosis of bone spongy edema

Edema of the bone marrow they are usually found with an MRI or ultrasound; they cannot be seen with X-rays or CT scans.

They are diagnosed when a patient has another medical condition or feels pain in that area of ​​the bone; sometimes, a bone biopsy is done for a more accurate diagnosis and to rule out other more serious conditions, such as cancer.

Causes 

Il bone marrow it is made up of bone material, fatty and capable of producing blood cells; bone marrow edema is an area where there is an increase in fluid within the bone.

Among the possible causes of the onset of spongy bone edema we find:

• Stress fractures: Stress fractures occur when there is repeated stress on a particular bone; that is it can occur due to physical activity such as running, dancing, or weight lifting.
• Arthritis: bone edemas are quite common in subjects suffering from inflammatory and non-inflammatory arthritis; they usually occur due to cell infiltration within the bone, which impairs the function of bone cells.
• Cancer: metastatic tumors can trigger an increased production of water in the bones; this edema will appear during an ultrasound or a control MRI. Radiation treatment may also increase the risk of bone edema formation.
  

  

• Infections: bone infections can cause an increase in water in the bones; edema usually disappears after the infection has been treated.

Treatment of bone spongy edema

In most cases, fluid within the bone disappears with time, therapy, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or pain relievers (NSAIDs); in severe cases, surgery may be required.

A fairly common procedure for treating bone spongy edema is core decompression, which involves drilling the bone in several places; once the surgeon has created the small holes, you can insert biocompatible material, such as bone graft or bone marrow stem cells to fill the cavity.

This process stimulates normal bone marrow growth.

In conclusion

Detection of bone marrow edema is important, especially in the management of arthritis, fractures, cancer or infection; edema can indicate where the pain started and how strong the bones are.

If your doctor detects bone spongy edema, it is good to investigate the cause to understand the correct treatment to be done; if you have constant pain in some bones, contact your doctor, who will be able to diagnose the presence or not of a spongy bone edema and will have you undergo the necessary tests to find out the cause and the following treatment.

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