Osteochondritis dissecans facts

• Osteochondritis dissecans is a joint condition whereby a variable amount of bone and its adjacent cartilage loses its blood supply.
• The cause of osteochondritis dissecans is often unknown.
• Symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, and even locking of the joint.
• Osteochondritis dissecans is best diagnosed with imaging studies.
• Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure that is frequently used as a treatment to remove the loose cartilage and bone tissue from the joint.

What is osteochondritis dissecans?

Osteochondritis dissecans is a joint condition whereby a variable amount of bone and its adjacent cartilage loses its blood supply. Osteochondritis dissecans can involve the bone and cartilage of virtually any joint. Elbows and knees are most commonly affected. Usually, only a small portion of the affected cartilage is involved. Osteochondritis dissecans most commonly affects boys between 9 and 18 years of age.

Depending on the joint that's affected, signs and symptoms of osteochondritis dissecans might include:

• Pain. This most common symptom of osteochondritis dissecans might be triggered by physical activity — walking up stairs, climbing a hill or playing sports.
• Swelling and tenderness. The skin around your joint might be swollen and tender.
• Joint popping or locking. Your joint might pop or stick in one position if a loose fragment gets caught between bones during movement.
• Joint weakness. You might feel as though your joint is "giving way" or weakening.
• Decreased range of motion. You might be unable to straighten the affected limb completely.

When to see a doctor

If you have persistent Pain or soreness in your knee, elbow or another joint, see your doctor. Other signs and symptoms that should prompt a call or visit to your doctor include Joint Swelling or an inability to move a joint through its full range of motion.

The cause of osteochondritis dissecans is unknown. The reduced blood flow to the end of the affected bone might result from repetitive trauma — small, multiple episodes of minor, unrecognized injury that damage the bone. There might be a genetic component, making some people more inclined to develop the disorder.

There is no cure as such, but the condition can be treated by a variety of means depending on the size and location of the lesion as well as the age of the patient and the degree of symptoms. Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure that is frequently used as a treatment to remove the loose cartilage and bone tissue from the joint.

Sometimes, especially in the very young (juvenile) form, osteochondritis dissecans can spontaneously correct itself.

Osteochondritis dissecans occurs most commonly in children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 20 who are highly active in sports.