Experimental models of bone marrow lesions in ovine femoral condyles

To develop an in vivo experimental model for bone marrow lesions (BMLs) in ovine femorotibial joints.

Randomized, prospective experimental study.

Eighteen healthy, skeletally-mature Dorper cross ewes.

One medial femoral condyle was penetrated with a 1.1 mm pin, and the contralateral medial femoral condyle was treated with transcutaneous extracorporeal shockwave (ESW) at 0.39 ± 0.04 mJ/mm² . Clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and histopathological analyses were used to detect and characterize the development and progression of BMLs in the medial femoral condyle at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-surgery.

Pin penetration induced a BML detected on MRI within 2 weeks and lasted at least 12 weeks. BMLs were not observed in ESW-treated condyles. Histologically, BMLs were characterized by hemorrhage and inflammatory cellular infiltrate, and progressed to more dense fibrous tissue over time. Pathological changes were not observed in the articular cartilage overlying the region of BMLs.

Direct, focal trauma to all layers of the osteochondral unit was sufficient to create an experimentally-induced BML which persisted for at least 90 days. The protocol used for ESW in this study did not induce BMLs.

Experimental induction of BMLs is possible and mimicked naturally occurring disease states. Volumetric imaging is a sensitive method for characterization of the dynamic nature of these lesions.