SONK stands for which knee pathology term?

• A. Subchondral Osteonecrosis of the Knee
• B. Subchondral Osteopenia of the Knee
• C. Subarticular Osteonecrosis of the Knee
• D. Subchondral Infarction of the Knee

Answer: (A)

SONK describes death of bone tissue under the cartilage of the knee due to loss of blood supply. Subchondral means beneath the cartilage surface, and osteonecrosis means death of bone tissue. Put together, Subchondral Osteonecrosis of the Knee is the term the acronym SONK is used for. The other options mix in concepts that aren’t the standard meaning: osteopenia is about low bone density, not necrosis; subarticular osteonecrosis uses a different wording that isn’t the conventional expansion; and subchondral infarction describes tissue death but the usual labeled term for this acronym is osteonecrosis.