<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The words &amp;amp;#39;bone bruise,&amp;amp;#39; also bone marrow edema or bone contusion, are often used by doctors or read in medical reports.\u00A0 Many patients find these words confusing and wonder what it means to have a bone bruise?&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Bone Bruise&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;There is controversy about exactly what a bone bruise is, are they all the same, and why did they occur?\u00A0 Prior to MRIs being performed, there was no test for a bone bruise, and therefore, the condition was not well recognized.\u00A0 When MRI tests started to be performed, doctors were able to &amp;amp;#39;see&amp;amp;#39; an abnormality in the bone that was described as bone bruising.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A bone bruise is thought to occur when there is microscopic fracturing of the internal bone structure.\u00A0 While these microfractures don&amp;amp;#39;t significantly weaken the bone, it can cause bleeding and inflammation within the bone.\u00A0 This can lead to pain and symptoms similar to a more familiar soft-tissue bruise.\u00A0 The most appropriate way to refer to this finding on an MRI is &amp;amp;#34;bone marrow edema.&amp;amp;#34;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Causes of Bone Marrow Edema&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;There are three main reasons why people can get bone marrow edema.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Traumatic Injury.&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;\u00A0 Trauma is a common cause of bone marrow edema.\u00A0 The trauma may be the result of &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/overuse-syndromes-2548812&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;repetitive overuse&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, or it may be the result of an &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/acute-injury-2549839&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;acute injury&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.\u00A0 One of the most common causes of a bone bruise seen on a knee MRI is a ligament injury such as an &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/acl-tears-sign-symptoms-and-treatment-recommendations-2549231&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;ACL tear&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.\u00A0 When the ACL is torn, the bones suddenly shift causing a compression injury and a very specific pattern of bone marrow edema.\u00A0 In fact, when MRIs were less clear, and the ACL was harder to visualize, doctors looked for this pattern of bone bruise to diagnose a torn ACL.\u00A0 Today&amp;amp;#39;s MRIs are much better quality, and seeing the torn ACL is much easier, but the bone bruise pattern is still helpful to confirm the injury.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Arthritis.&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;\u00A0 &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-does-it-mean-to-have-arthritis-2549248&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Arthritis causes damage to the cartilage&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; surface of the joint.\u00A0 This protective surfaces helps to shield and cushion the underlying bone.\u00A0 When this cartilage surface is damaged or worn this, the bone around the joint may be exposed to higher stress and may succumb to the increased burden.\u00A0 Patients with arthritis often have evidence of bone bruising in the areas most affected by their condition.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Osteonecrosis.&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;\u00A0 &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/facts-about-osteonecrosis-189426&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Osteonecrosis&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; is a specific condition that causes interruption of the blood supply to the bone.\u00A0 The lack of blood flow can lead to weakening on the bone.\u00A0 If the bone becomes weak, it may sustain the microfractures from lack of strength of the structure of the bone.\u00A0 These microfractures may cause bone marrow edema surrounding the area of osteonecrosis.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Treatment of Bone Bruising&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Damaged bone needs rest and relief from stress.\u00A0 When bone bruising is seen on an MRI, the bone is damaged and should be allowed to heal.\u00A0 It is very difficult to predict how long bone bruising takes to resolve, and there are some conditions where the bone bruising may be indefinitely persistent.\u00A0 The bone bruising after an ACL tear may be present for several months after the injury, and the bone bruising of arthritis or osteonecrosis may persist so long as those conditions are present.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Most surgeons recommend limiting activity when bone bruising is found around a joint.\u00A0 In these cases, there is often concern about damage to the cartilage of the joint.\u00A0 Further damage to the bone supporting the cartilage can lead to a condition called &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-arthritis-2549242&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;post-traumatic arthritis&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.\u00A0 Therefore, most orthopedists will recommend allowing the symptoms of a bone bruise to completely resolve before resuming athletic activity.\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/bone-bruise-marrow-edema-2549289>