Cane Use Doesn’t Foster the Growth of Bone Marrow Lesions

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Australian researchers reporting at the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) World Congress on Osteoarthritis held this weekend in Toronto, say that the use of cane by osteoarthritis patients does not worsen or improve medial tibiofemoral bone marrow lesions (BML) in knee osteoarthritis.

“We found no evidence of an effect of cane use for approximately 2-3 hours per day over 3 months on medial tibiofemoral BML volume changes, compared to not using any gait aids,” A. Van Ginckel, et al. wrote in the April issue of the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage.

The findings were presented at OARSI on Friday. Patients with knee osteoarthritis are believed to be at high risk for developing bone marrow lesions, cartilage loss and structural deterioration due to joint loading. But in this study of 78 patients, no such evidence was found.