Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Femur bone marrow edema syndrome is a self-limiting disease, and its specific mechanism is yet unclear. There is currently no clear clinical treatment, and the treatment for femur bone marrow edema syndrome is mainly based on symptomatic treatment, and no serious complications.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the etiology, clinical manifestations, imaging features of proximal femur bone marrow edema syndrome as well as its relationship and difference with avascular necrosis of the femoral head.
METHODS: From September 2007 to May 2010, 11 hips of 10 cases (5 males and 5 females) were collected in the out-patient, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. The first diagnosis of the 10 cases was avascular necrosis of the femoral head, and then diagnosed as proximal femur bone marrow edema syndrome. The clinical manifestations and imaging data before and after treatment were detected.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The clinical symptoms of all patients were all improved, and no adverse consequences remained. From the X-ray films, the shapes of all femoral heads were intact, non-articular surface collapsed. The original low signals in T1-weighted images and high signals in T2-weighted images or short TI inversion recovery images all disappeared, the prognosis of proximal femur bone marrow edema syndrome was evident from avascular necrosis of the femoral head. These indicate that the proximal femur bone marrow edema syndrome is a self-limiting disease with complex causes, and it is very important to be aware of the clinical characteristics, in order to clarify diagnosis, avoid misdiagnosis, and choose appropriate treatment.