A joint condition in which a small segment of bone underneath the cartilage of a joint dies due to lack of blood flow, this bone and cartilage can then break loose and become separated, causing pain and possibly hindering joint motion.
The reduced blood flow to the end of the affected bone might result from repetitive trauma (high-impact activity, such as running or jumping. small and/or multiple episodes of minor, unrecognised injury that damage the bone).
Persons usually affected are children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 20 who are highly active in sports.
Normally the knees are affected but it can also occurs in elbows, ankles and other joints.
It can cause symptoms either after an injury to a joint or after several months of activity, especially high-impact activity such as jumping and running, that affects the joint (as the cartilage becomes more loose from the bone).
Diagnosis test
Medical Doctors will asses the size of the injury ( by doing a basic physical exam and checking for any tenderness or swelling in your joints.
They may ask you to perform a few movements so they can evaluate your range of motion around the affected joint) whether the fragment is partially or completely detached, and whether the fragment stays in place.
If the loosened piece of cartilage and bone stays in place, you may have few or no symptoms. For young children whose bones are still developing, the injury might heal by itself.
Further tests include:
X-rays will help them see if a bone has separated from the cartilage.
MRI scans will give them a view of the cartilage so they can see if it’s still in the proper place.
CT scans allow your doctor to check for any loose fragments of bone or cartilage that might be adding to your symptoms.
The knee is a complex structure consisting of bone, cartilage, muscle, tendon, ligament, synovial fluid and nerves.
Knee pain could be the result of a problem with any one of these components, or a combination of several.
The knee can take time to heal due to generally there is poor blood supply in that area, X-rays will show some obvious conditions, tendons and ligament damage is difficult to diagnose on x rays, further investigation i.e. a MRI scan maybe required.
Each condition have different healing times, a specialist in that healthcare field will monitor your healing time and should guide you to obtain optimum healing time as this can can from individual to individual.
Surgery
Surgery might be necessary if the fragment comes loose and gets caught between the moving parts of your joint or if you have persistent pain or if no improvement after four to six months.
Ones cartilage and bone will need time to heal, rest is essential as well as compression of the legs (bandage/support, leg splint and/or crutches) to hold it it in place to heal.
Cause
Unknown
Maybe family history (familial osteochondritis dissecans, which tends to affect multiple joints)
Person with familial osteochondritis dissecans are usually short and have early-onset osteoarthritis)
(Depending on the joint that’s affected, normally one has no symptoms if the condition has minor damage)
Joint pain and stiffness?
Pain at front of knee(s) especially when getting up from chairs and walking up the stairs and exercising and/or climbing up hills (if knee affected)?
Inflamed (hot, red and swollen) joints, tenderness and warmth to the touch?
Hear a ‘popping’ noise and you may feel your joint give out from under you?
Pain when fully bending the affected joint (knee, ankle elbow , or other joint) or squatting down and/or locking of the affected joint (knee, ankle, elbow or other joint) and/or developing gradual pain after stressing affected joint (knee, ankle elbow, or other joint) and/or difficulty moving your knee or inability to move it in a full range of motion?
Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:
General tips
Rest – stop the exercise or activities that caused the injury until you feel better
Ice – put an ice pack (you could use a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel) on the injury for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
Compress – wrap a bandage around the injury to support it
Elevate – if possible, keep the injured area raised on a pillow when sitting or lying down
If your symptoms don’t improve after four to six months, you might need surgery. Your doctor will also likely recommend surgery if you have loose bone or cartilage fragments in your joints.
There are three main approaches when it comes to surgery:
Drilling. Your doctor will use a drill to make a small hole in the affected area. This encourages new blood vessels to form, increasing blood flow to the area and helping it heal.
Pinning
This involves inserting pins and screws to hold the lesion of a joint in place.
Grafting
Your doctor takes bone or cartilage from other areas of your body and places it in the damaged area, grafting new bone or cartilage onto the damaged area.
This tends to affect active adolescents. It is an inflammation of a growth plate under the attachment of the patella tendon to the kneecap.
The symptoms include pain near the bottom of the kneecap accompanied by swelling and tenderness around the kneecap.
Lateral Patellar Facet overload syndrome
A dull aching pain underneath, around the sides or below kneecap.
It is caused by increased pressure on the lateral facet of the patella. The reason for this is improper tracking, poor alignment or dislocation of the kneecap.
The condition is often apparent during repetitive exercise such as climbing stairs.
Popliteus muscle injury
A thin triangular muscle located in the depression at the back of the knee joint, called the popliteal fossa.
Exercise or trauma may cause injury to the popliteus muscle.
If the muscle is injured you may feel tenderness when rotating your leg inwards.
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Osteochondritis Dissecans in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
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Prevention
Once ones leg has healed:
Avoid high impact sports (consider swimming and/or cycling)
Adolescents participating in organized sports might benefit from education on the risks to their joints associated with overuse.
Learning the proper mechanics and techniques of their sport, using the proper protective gear, and participating in strength training and stability training exercises can help reduce the chance of injury.
