Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Tracking Mouse Bone Marrow Monocytes In Vivo
12:08

Tracking Mouse Bone Marrow Monocytes In Vivo

Published on: February 27, 2015

Bone marrow edema

Georg Schett1

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine 3, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Krankenhausstrasse 12, Erlangen, Germany. georg.schett@uk-erlangen.de

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|March 3, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Bone marrow edema on MRI may indicate inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, not just fluid. These bone lesions, visible on MRI, are often vascularized and can appear even without joint erosion.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology
  • Rheumatology
  • Orthopedics

Background:

  • Bone marrow edema on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shares signal characteristics with inflamed synovium.
  • This edema may represent inflammatory cell infiltration rather than solely extracellular fluid accumulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the characteristics of bone marrow lesions identified by MRI in patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Main Methods:

  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to detect bone marrow lesions.
  • Analysis focused on signal quality, vascularization, and association with inflammatory arthritis.

Main Results:

  • Bone marrow edema patterns on MRI can mimic inflamed synovium.
  • Highly vascularized bone lesions near rheumatoid arthritis inflammation exhibit high water content and MRI visibility.
  • Periarticular bone marrow lesions are observable on MRI even in the absence of erosive changes.

Conclusions:

  • Bone marrow edema on MRI in inflammatory arthritis warrants consideration as a sign of true inflammation.
  • MRI is a valuable tool for detecting and characterizing bone marrow lesions in inflammatory arthritis.
  • Understanding these lesions is crucial for assessing disease activity and progression in inflammatory arthritis.

More Related Videos

A Human Bone Marrow 3D Model to Investigate the Dynamics and Interactions Between Resident Cells in Physiological or Tumoral Contexts09:07

A Human Bone Marrow 3D Model to Investigate the Dynamics and Interactions Between Resident Cells in Physiological or Tumoral Contexts

Published on: December 16, 2022

Identifying Bone Marrow Microenvironmental Populations in Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia06:33

Identifying Bone Marrow Microenvironmental Populations in Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Published on: November 10, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants01:22

Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants

Bone marrow transplant is a potential cure for several diseases, including cancer and specific genetic disorders. Notably, this procedure is applicable for patients suffering from aplastic anemia, certain types of leukemia, severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, thalassemia, sickle-cell disease, and certain cancers.
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy the...
Cytotoxic Edema: Pathophysiology01:21

Cytotoxic Edema: Pathophysiology

Cytotoxic edema is a form of cerebral edema characterized by intracellular swelling of neurons, astrocytes, and other glial cells. It develops when the mechanisms responsible for maintaining ionic gradients across the cell membrane become impaired. Under normal physiological conditions, the sodium–potassium ATPase actively transports sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into the cell, preserving osmotic balance and enabling electrical signaling. This pump requires a continuous supply...
Cerebral Edema ll: Pathophysiology01:22

Cerebral Edema ll: Pathophysiology

Vasogenic edema is a major form of cerebral edema characterized by abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain’s extracellular space due to disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a specialized structure composed of endothelial cells connected by tight junctions, supported by astrocytic endfeet and a basement membrane. Under normal conditions, it tightly regulates the movement of ions, proteins, and solutes between the bloodstream and brain parenchyma. When this barrier loses...
Cerebral Edema l: Introduction01:19

Cerebral Edema l: Introduction

Cerebral edema is a pathological increase in brain water content that disrupts intracranial pressure regulation and impairs neurological function. Because the cranial vault is rigid, even modest increases in tissue volume can compromise cerebral perfusion, distort neural structures, and initiate secondary injury. Cerebral edema develops through four principal mechanisms: vasogenic, cytotoxic, interstitial, and ionic.Vasogenic EdemaVasogenic edema arises from disruption of the blood–brain...
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones01:29

Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones

Bones are dynamic organs that require a rich supply of oxygen and nutrients. Around 5% to 10% of the cardiac output supplies blood to the bones. A typical long bone has three main sources: the nutrient artery, the metaphyseal and epiphyseal arteries, and the periosteal arteries.
Nutrient Artery
The nutrient artery is the main blood vessel that enters the diaphysis via the nutrient foramen. While most long bones have only one nutrient foramen, large bones, such as the femur, may have two. This...