What are periosteal reactions?

Periosteal reaction, also known as periostitis or periosteitis, is a nonspecific radiographic finding that indicates periosteal irritation. Periosteal reactions may be broadly characterized as benign or aggressive, or more specifically categorized by pattern.

What does a periosteal reaction look like?

When a process is growing too fast for the periosteum to respond with even thin shells of new bone, sometimes only the edges of the raised periosteum will ossify. When this little bit of ossification is seen tangentially on a radiograph, it forms a small angle with the surface of the bone, but not a complete triangle.

What is a subtle periosteal reaction?

A periosteal reaction is the formation of new bone in response to injury or other stimuli of the periosteum surrounding the bone. It is most often identified on X-ray films of the bones.

When does periosteal reaction occur?

Periosteal reaction results when cortical bone reacts to one of many possible insults. Tu- mor, infection, trauma, certain drugs, and some arthritic conditions can elevate the perioste- um from the cortex and form various patterns of periosteal reaction (Fig. 1).

Is periosteal reaction Bad?

Repetitive stress on the tibia, or shinbone, causes shin splints. This condition often improves with rest, but it can lead to chronic discomfort and pain. Periostitis is usually benign and well tolerated.

What does periosteal mean?

1 : situated around or produced external to bone. 2 : of, relating to, or involving the periosteum.

Is periosteal thickening bad?

This reaction may be thick or thin, straight or undulating, variable in opacity, and have distinct or indistinct margins. These reactions are generally benign and usually signify benign disease. The yellow arrows indicate callus formation in a healing fracture of the radius in a calf.

Is Periostitis painful?

Infection of the bone can lead to acute periostitis, which is a painful condition. This may lead to necrosis, which is death of the living tissue surrounding the bone. Chronic periostitis can result from trauma and stress to the bones. Shin splints from running are an example.

How long does Periostitis last?

Average recovery time is 2-4 weeks for periostitis, 6-8 weeks for stress fracture and several months for compartment syndrome.

What is periosteal inflammation?

Periostitis is a condition that many runners are familiar with. It is caused by inflammation of the periosteum, a layer of connective tissue that surrounds bone. The condition is generally chronic and needs to be differentiated from stress fracture or shin splints.

How long does periostitis last?

What does it mean to have a periosteal reaction?

Periosteal reaction, also known as periostitis or periosteitis, is a nonspecific radiographic finding that indicates periosteal irritation. Periosteal reactions may be broadly characterized as benign or aggressive, or more specifically categorized by pattern.

Can a smooth periosteal reaction make a lesion aggressive?

The finding of a smooth periosteal reaction does not mean that the lesion is not aggressive, because there may be another finding that makes the lesion aggressive. Thus, a lesion with a smooth periosteal reaction but an indistinct transition zone will still be aggressive (see Fig. 17.18 ).

How does the Sunburst subtype of the periosteal reaction work?

In the sunburst subtype of periosteal reaction, the spicules of new bone radiate in a divergent pattern instead of perpendicular to the cortex (Fig. 6), an appear- ance often associated with conventional osteosarcomas. A Codman triangle develops when a portion of periosteum is lifted off of the cortex by

What does a thick periosteal reaction mean for a bone lesion?

A thin periosteal reaction might represent an early stage of a highly aggressive bone lesion or a chronic, benign process ( Fig. 3. 1 ). On the other hand, a thick periosteal reaction usually suggests a benign condition.