OCD of the Knee in Adolescents

Abstract

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the knee is a pathological condition of subchondral bone resembling focal osteolysis with subsequent bone resorption, which may lead to osteochondral fragment separation. Several etiological concepts reported for OCD development. The multifactorial theory is commonly adopted for days. Different investigators report OCD lesion healing while using conservative treatment or even “waitful watching” with a healing rate of up to 67%. In spite of these results, there are not any commonly adopted guidelines for conservative treatment. The last stage of OCD is a separation of osteochondral fragment leaving a full-thickness osteochondral defect, which is usually filled with low-quality fibrocartilaginous tissue. This tissue provides a lesser extent of resistance to peak loading forces, which poses at risk subchondral bone for further destruction and early osteoarthritis development. Appropriate treatment method should be chosen for each OCD stage in order to prevent early osteoarthritis development, increase return-to-sport rate, and decrease healing time for OCD lesions. This chapter provides short but comprehensive to date knowledge about OCD on the knee of adolescents and young adults.