Bone marrow lesions predict site-specific cartilage defect development and volume loss: a prospective study in older adults

Table 2 Association between BMLs and cartilage defects

	Multivariable OR (95% CI)†	Multivariable OR (95% CI)‡
BMLs predicting defect increases
Medial tibial BMLs	1.8 (1.2, 2.7)**	1.8 (1.1, 2.9)*
Medial femoral BMLs	2.3 (1.5, 3.5)**	2.2 (1.4, 3.5)**
Lateral tibial BMLs	2.8 (1.8, 4.5)**	3.2 (1.9, 5.4)**
Lateral femoral BMLs	3.3 (2.1, 5.0)**	3.0 (1.9, 4.8)**
Defects predicting BML increases
Medial tibial defects	3.7 (2.1, 6.5)**	3.3 (1.6, 6.8)**
Medial femoral defects	2.2 (1.3, 3.8)**	2.0 (1.0, 4.1)
Lateral tibial defects	2.5 (1.5, 4.2)**	1.6 (0.8, 3.4)
Lateral femoral defects	2.6 (1.6, 4.2)**	3.7 (1.9, 7.3)**

Baseline BMLs (0 to 3) and site-specific increases in cartilage defects at the same site and baseline cartilage defects (0 to 4) and site-specific increases in BMLs at the same site.
Bold denotes a statistically significant result. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.
† Adjusted for age, sex, body mass index and baseline site-specific defects if BMLs and site-specific BMLs if defects. All P-values < 0.01.
‡ Further adjusted for meniscal extrusion and meniscal tear.
BMLs, bone marrow lesions; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio.

ISSN: 1478-6362