Long-term effects of intravenous iloprost therapy in patients with bone marrow oedema of the hip.

Bone marrow oedema (BMO) is a multifactorial condition. Various conservative treatment options include analgesic therapy, immobilisation of the affected joint and/or systemic intravenous iloprost or bisphosphonate therapy. Many studies confirm the positive effect of iloprost therapy in larger joints, e.g. the hip and knee joint, after short-term follow up. The objective of this study was to investigate that treatment with iloprost leads to positive long-term functional and radiological outcomes for BMO of the hip joint. Nineteen patients with BMO of the hip joint, ARCO stage 1-2, were included in this study. The Harris Hip Score, the SF-36, the WOMAC score and a visual analogue pain scale (VAS) were evaluated before and 29 ± 11 months after Ilomedin therapy. All patients underwent MRI for radiological follow-up monitoring three months after treatment. Significant improvements were found in the WOMAC Index and the VAS. In 79% of patients, follow-up MRI after three months showed complete regression of the oedema. Based on the positive results of our study, we support treatment with iloprost for BMO of the hip joint at ARCO stage 1-2.