Subchondral Bone Marrow Edema Lesion (BML) is a condition that can cause knee pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, there are currently no registered products available to treat it. This means that people who don't respond to existing anti-inflammatory treatments may be forced to undergo Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) surgery, which is a major operation.
However, there is hope on the horizon. Researchers have been looking into the use of Pentosan Polysulphate Sodium (PPS) as a potential treatment for BML. PPS is a medication that has been used to treat other conditions, such as bladder inflammation and blood clots.
In a recent case study, a 70-year-old woman with knee osteoarthritis was given PPS injections twice a week for three weeks. The results were very promising. Two weeks after the treatment, MRI scans showed that the bone marrow edema had completely disappeared from the medial femoral condyle and medial tibial plateau. The patient also experienced a significant reduction in knee pain and an improvement in her Lysholm Knee Score, which is a measure of knee function. Additionally, there was a reduction in joint effusion, which is swelling within the joint.
These results are very encouraging, and suggest that PPS could be a viable treatment option for BML-associated knee pain and dysfunction.
Overall, this case study provides hope for people suffering from BML-associated knee pain. We regularly prescribe this injectable drug to our patients as one of the many interventions that are combined to produce a positive therapeutic response. This drug must be made by a compounding pharmacy and injected weekly for a minimum of 5 weeks.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28899386/