Article Text
Abstract
Objectives: To describe the natural history of subchondral bone marrow lesions (BMLs) in a sample of subjects with knee osteoarthritis (OA) or at risk of developing it. Additionally, to examine the association of change in BMLs from baseline to 30-month follow-up with the risk of cartilage loss in the same subregion at follow-up.
Methods: 1.0 T MRI was performed using proton density-weighted, fat-suppressed sequences. BML size and cartilage status were scored in the same subregions according to the WORMS system. Subregions were categorised based on comparison of baseline and follow-up BML status. A logistic regression model was used to assess the association of change in BML status with cartilage loss over 30 months using stable BMLs as the reference group.
Results: 395 knees were included. 66% of prevalent BMLs changed in size; 50% showed either regression or resolution at follow-up. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of cartilage loss in the same subregion at follow-up for the different groups were 1.2 (0.5 to 1.6) for regressing BMLs, 0.9 (0.5 to 1.6) for resolving BMLs, 2.8 (1.5 to 5.2) for progressing BMLs, 0.2 (0.1 to 0.3) for subregions with no BMLs at baseline and follow-up and 3.5 (2.1 to 5.9) for newly developing BMLs. BML size at baseline was associated with risk of subsequent cartilage loss.
Conclusions: The majority of pre-existing BMLs decreased in size at follow-up. Absence of BMLs was associated with a decreased risk of cartilage loss, while progressing and new BMLs showed a high risk of cartilage loss in the same subregion.
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Footnotes
Funding Supported by NIH grants from the National Institute of Aging to CEL (U01-AG-18947), JT (U01-AG-18832), MCN (U01-AG-19069) and DTF (U01-AG-18820).
Competing interests AG is president of Boston Imaging Core Lab, LLC (BICL), Boston, Massachusetts, USA, a company providing radiological image assessment services; and shareholder of Synarc Inc. FWR is vice president of BICL. None of the other authors have declared any conflict of interest.
Ethics approval The study was conducted in compliance with the ethical principles derived from the Declaration of Helsinki and in compliance with local institutional review boards, informed consent regulations and International Conference on Harmonization Good Clinical Practices Guidelines.