Patent ID: 9532876
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61F

Claim:
1. A method for reinforcing subchondral bone in a first bone adjacent a joint to try to prevent or delay the onset of a bone marrow edema in subchondral bone of the first bone, the first bone having articular cartilage, the subchondral bone occurring under the articular cartilage, the method comprising: identifying damage in the articular cartilage of the first bone; obtaining imaging of the first bone that is usable to determine if the imaging detects a defect in the subchondral bone, wherein the imaging obtained consists of one or more types of imaging that each fail to detect a defect in the subchondral bone, said one or more types of imaging including a T2-weighted MRI; creating, despite the one or more types of imaging failing to detect a defect in the subchondral bone, an access path to the subchondral bone in a manner that preserves the articular cartilage of the first bone; and injecting an injectable material into the subchondral bone via the access path for reinforcing the subchondral bone, wherein said identifying damage in the articular cartilage includes identifying articular cartilage damage on the T2-weighted MRI.