The terms 'bone bruise' or 'bone contusion' are commonly used to refer to areas of localized bony tenderness following trauma, without X-ray evidence of fracture. These painful injuries are sub-periosteal hae-matomas which can persist for several weeks, but usually resolve spontaneously with no further consequences. However, this is where it gets confusing.'Bone bruises' are also a group of traumatic bone lesions seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They are known as 'occult bone lesions' as they are usually not visible on plain radiographs or on direct observation (i.e. at arthroscopy). They are distinct from periosteal haemato-mas, and should not be confused with these injuries.This article will review what is known about these interesting MRI findings and explain their importance to sports medicine and orthopaedics.
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