Outcomes in patients with clinically suspected pedal osteomyelitis based on bone marrow signal pattern on MRI

Abstract Objective p < 0.001). Six patients had normal T1 signal, 16.7 % of whom had osteomyelitis and underwent amputation by 2 months post-MRI. Of 61 patients with reticulated T1 hypointense signal, 19.7 % had a diagnosis of osteomyelitis at 2 months post-MRI and 30.8 % had a diagnosis of osteomyelitis at 14 months post-MRI; moreover, 14.8 % and 31.5 % underwent amputation by 2 and 14 months post-MRI, respectively. Of 45 patients with confluent T1 hypointense signal, 73.3 % of patients had osteomyelitis at 2 months post-MRI and 82.5 % had osteomyelitis at 14 months post-MRI. In this group, 66.7 % underwent amputation by 2 months post-MRI and 77.8 % underwent amputation by 14 months post-MRI. Conclusions: over half of the patients with suspected pedal osteomyelitis who had reticulated or normal T1 bone marrow signal on MRI healed with conservative measures. Therefore, we recommend terminology such as “osteitis”, “reactive osteitis”, or “nonspecific reactive change” to describe bone marrow edema-like signal and reticulated hazy T1 hypointense signal without associated confluent T1 hypointensity. Moreover, we recommend that the MRI diagnosis of osteomyelitis is reserved for confluent T1 hypointense bone signal in the area of concern.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Outcomes in patients with clinically suspected pedal osteomyelitis based on bone marrow signal pattern on MRI ; volume:8 ; number:2 ; year:2023 ; pages:99-107 ; extent:9 ; Journal of bone and joint infection ; 8, Heft 2 (2023), 99-107 (gesamt 9)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Tiegs-Heiden, Christin A. ; Anderson, Tanner C. ; Collins, Mark S. ; Johnson, Matthew P. ; Osmon, Douglas R. ; Wenger, Doris E.

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/jbji-8-99-2023
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023033005295742060674
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:45 AM CEST