THE NATURAL-HISTORY OF BONE BRUISES - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE IMAGING-DETECTED TRABECULAR MICROFRACTURES IN PATIENTS WITHISOLATED MEDIAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT INJURIES

We conducted a prospective study to evaluate bone bruises, or trabecul ar microfractures, associated with isolated medial collateral ligament injuries. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 65 patients wit h isolated medial collateral ligament injuries determined by physical examination and imaging studies. Of these 65 patients, 29 (45%) had as sociated trabecular microfractures. Follow-up images were completed at various intervals on 24 of these 29 patients (83%). Complete resoluti on of these lesions was observed in all cases. This process appears to occur as a result of gradual diffusion over a period of 2 to 4 months . Bone bruises associated with medial collateral ligament injuries are approximately one-half as common as bone bruises associated with ante rior cruciate ligament injuries. However, medial collateral ligament-a ssociated trabecular microfractures may be a better natural history mo del because these injuries are treated nonoperatively.