Letter to Editor - A Clinical ‘PIC- Perspectives, issues & Concerns” on Idiopathic Transient Osteoporosis during Pregnancy with alarm bells on its Idiopathic nature - Response

Dear Editor, At the outset, I would like to congratulate the authors of the article published in your journal in the current issue entitled- Idiopathic Transient Osteoporosis during Pregnancy – Report of a Clinical Case JOCR November – December 2019 Volume 9 Issue 6 Page 54-57. However, I regret to mention that the workup mentioned in this article needs to be improved, before one can come to definitive diagnosis of Idiopathic Transient Osteoporosis during Pregnancy. I would like to highlight various perspectives, issues & concerns, the knowledge of which are must for the readers of this journal pertaining to this disorder. It is pertinent to mention no doubt the increasing utilization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has allowed physicians to investigate edematous changes in bone marrow, a clinically important entity which was previously undetected on conventional radiographs. The first use of the term “bone marrow edema” was by Wilson et al in 1988, and the term “bone marrow edema syndrome” was described in 1993 after the investigation of histological specimens [1]. Later on, importantly Hayes et al. advocated that the term “transient bone marrow edema syndrome” should be used for patients in whom the bone marrow edema pattern was not accompanied by radiographic evidence of osteopenia [2]. And thus separating the two entities i.e. “the transient bone marrow edema syndrome” and “Transient Osteoporosis” Occurrence of hip pain during pregnancy is quite common, although transient osteoporosis as a condition causing this symptom is uncommonly seen. Clinicians should also be aware of intra-articular disorders such as loose bodies, and labral tears; peri-articular pathology such as tendinitis and bursitis; or extra-articular conditions such as referred pain from the lumbar spine, the sacroiliac joint, and or from nerve entrapment syndromes. So, a detailed history and physical examination is helpful to narrow the differential diagnoses, which, in turn, dictate the modal

Prevalence of Os Styloideum in National Hockey League Players

Background: Os styloideum describes an accessory carpal ossicle between the trapezoid, the capitate, and the second and third metacarpals. Injuries to this tissue have been described as part of the carpal boss syndrome. While the etiology of os styloideum remains uncertain, it may represent a physiologic response to altered loading forces in the wrist, similar to the development of cam-type deformity in the hips of ice hockey players or the Bennett lesion in the shoulders of baseball pitchers. Hypothesis: Professional hockey players will have a higher prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population. Study Design: Case series. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: A retrospective review of 16 professional hockey players from 4 different National Hockey League (NHL) teams who underwent unilateral imaging of the wrist was performed. Seventeen wrists were reviewed for the presence of os styloideum. Results: Thirteen of 16 players (81%) had an os styloideum, representing an increased prevalence compared with the general population. Previous clinical and cadaveric studies estimated a general prevalence of up to 19% ( P < 0.001). For the 10 players who had their leading wrist scanned, 9 had an os styloideum (90%). Ten of 11 (91%) players demonstrated a bone marrow edema pattern within the metacarpal and the os styloideum on magnetic resonance imaging. There was no significant association between the presence of an os styloideum and the player’s position, leading wrist, or years in the league. Conclusion: There appears to be an increased prevalence of os styloideum among NHL players, and team physicians should consider this finding while formulating a differential diagnosis for dorsal wrist pain. Clinical Relevance: This study identified NHL players as having an increased prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population. By doing so, these findings represent an opportunity to enhance our understanding of the etiology, clinical significance, and treatment of os styloideum.

Bone Structure and Perfusion Quantification of Bone Marrow Edema Pattern in the Wrist of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Multimodality Study

Objective.To quantify bone structure and perfusion parameters in regions of bone marrow edema pattern (BMEP), non-edematous bone marrow (NBM), and pannus tissue areas in the wrists of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using 3-Tesla (3T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT).Methods.Sixteen subjects fulfilling American College of Rheumatology classification were imaged using a HR-pQCT system and a 3T MRI scanner with an 8-channel wrist coil. Coronal T2-weighted and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE-MRI) images were acquired. BMEP and pannus tissue areas were segmented semiautomatically in T2-weighted images. NBM areas were placed at a similar distance from the joint space as BMEP regions. MR and HR-pQCT images were registered, and bone variables were calculated within the BMEP and NBM regions. Perfusion parameters in BMEP, pannus tissue, and NBM regions were calculated based on the signal-time curve obtained from DCE-MRI.Results.Eighteen BMEP areas were segmented, 15 of them presented proximal to pannus-filled erosions. Significant increases in bone density and trabecular thickness and number were observed in all BMEP regions compared to NMB (p < 0.05). Significantly elevated perfusion measures were observed in both BMEP and pannus tissue regions compared to NBM (p < 0.05).Conclusion.BMEP regions showed significantly increased bone density and structures as well as perfusion measures, suggesting bone remodeling and active inflammation. Combining MRI and HR-pQCT provides a powerful multimodality approach for understanding BMEP and erosions, and for potentially identifying novel imaging markers for disease progression in RA.