Magnetic resonance imaging in adolescent symptomatic navicular tuberosity

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Radiology
• Pediatric Medicine

Background:

• Accessory navicular bone is a common ossicle that can cause pain.
• Edema-like bone marrow patterns on MR imaging are associated with symptomatic accessory navicular bones.
• The correlation between these MR findings and navicular tuberosity symptoms is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between edema-like bone marrow patterns and symptom alleviation.
• To determine if this pattern is present in symptomatic navicular bones, with or without an accessory navicular bone.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of MR images in 10 adolescents with navicular tuberosity pain.
• Seven cases underwent serial MR imaging to monitor changes.
• Correlation of edema-like bone marrow pattern intensity with symptom severity and alleviation.

Main Results:

• Edema-like bone marrow pattern was present in all symptomatic navicular bones.
• The intensity of the edema-like pattern decreased as symptoms improved.
• This correlation was observed even in patients without accessory navicular bones.

Conclusions:

• MR imaging is valuable for diagnosing and monitoring adolescent symptomatic navicular pain.
• Edema-like bone marrow patterns on MR imaging correlate with symptom severity and healing.
• Adolescent symptomatic navicular tuberosity may involve mechanisms like osteitis, irrespective of accessory ossicles.