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Bone marrow edema (BME) is a frequent MRI finding in patients with knee pain. According to the etiology, BME of the knee can be classified into three main categories: ischemic, mechanic, and reactive. The diagnosis may be difficult, because of the specificity of symptoms and the poor radiographic findings. MRI is the gold standard, showing an area of altered signal of the bone with an high signal intensity on fat-suppressed, T2 weighted images, usually in combination with an intermediate or low signal intensity on T1 weighted images. Bone marrow edema tends to be self-limiting and, in most cases, resolves without any consequences in a varying amount of time. However, since it may evolve to complete joint destruction, early diagnosis and correct treatment are crucial to prevent the articular degeneration. Conservative therapy is the first step, with no weight-bearing for 3 to 6 weeks on the affected side, in combination with the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs or painkillers to manage symptoms. In non-responding forms and more advanced stages, minimally invasive preservative surgery can provide significant results, with subchondroplasty and core decompression being the two main procedures available. Knee arthroplasty, both total (TKA) or unicompartmental (UKA), is the only effective option when the degradation of cartilage is diffuse and in patients with subchondral bone collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of prearthritic constitutional valgus alignment on medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). The study found that a small percentage of patients with isolated medial osteoarthritis (OA) treated with medial UKA had a valgus alignment. These patients experienced a shift in the limb's mechanical axis after surgery, potentially leading to the progression of OA in the lateral compartment. The study also analyzed the alignment of prosthetic components and found specific angles for the tibial and femoral components. The study suggests that patients with valgus alignment may face challenges in achieving proper ligament balance after surgery and may be at a higher risk of OA progression in the lateral compartment. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and establish clinical correlations. [Extracted from the article]