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Bone marrow edema (BME) represents a reversible but highly painful finding in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT) on painful BME in osteoarthritis of the knee.This study focuses on people who had early-to-mid stage osteoarthritis with knee pain and MRI findings of BME. Patients who underwent ESWT treatment or prescribed alendronate treatment in our department were analyzed. Knee pain and function were measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), respectively. The degree of BME was measured with MRI scans.A total of 126 patients who received ESWT treatment (Group A, n = 82) or alendronate treatment (Group B, n = 44) were included. All patients were followed up clinically and radiographically for a minimum of 12 months. The mean follow-up was 23.5 months (range, 12–38 months). The VAS and WOMAC score decreased more significantly after treatment in Group A than that in Group B (P <.01) within 3 months. In 6-month MRI follow-ups, there was higher incidence of distinct reduction and complete regression of BME of the affected knee in Group A than that in Group B (P <.01).ESWT is an effective, reliable, and noninvasive treatment in patients with painful BME in osteoarthritis of the knee followed by a rapid normalization of the MRI appearance. It has the potential to shorten the natural course of this disease.

DECT showed relatively high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of gout. Synthetically considering these DECT abnormalities could improve the diagnostic sensitivity. More rigorous and standardized studies are still needed to support these findings.

Background:Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are commonly used in surgical patients, but accompanied by many risks such as metabolic derangement, and allergic and febrile reactions. Indications for transfusion in patients after hip or knee surgery have not been definitively evaluated and remain controversial. We performed a meta-analysis to compare the benefits and harms of restrictive versus liberal transfusion strategies in patients after hip or knee surgery.Methods:The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies through September 2015. The main clinical outcomes reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included 30-day mortality, infection rate, cardiogenic complications, and length of hospital stay. The meta-analysis program of the Cochrane Collaboration (RevMan version 5.3.0) was used for data analysis. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed by both Cochran chi-squared test (Q test) and I2 test. Begg and Egger test were used to assess potential publication bias.Results:We identified 10 eligible RCTs, involving 3788 patients in total. In patients undergoing hip or knee surgery, we found no differences in mortality, or the incidence rates of pneumonia, wound infection, myocardial infarction, or congestive heart failure, between restrictive and liberal thresholds for RBC transfusion (P > .05).Conclusion:Restrictive transfusion has no advantage over the liberal strategy. However, considerably less patients received blood transfusion via the restrictive strategy than with the liberal counterpart. Due to variations in the included studies, additional larger scale and well-designed studies are required to validate these conclusions.