Osteochondritis Dissecans: Current Treatment Options

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a pathologic process that results in destruction of subchondral bone with secondary damage to overyling articular cartilage. It has a typical clinical presentation involving pain and clicking in the affected joint, and demonstrates characteristic radiographic findings (Figures 12.1–C12.3). OCD likely represents a common endpoint for multiple possible pathologic pathways, including trauma, ischemia, and genetic predisposition. Although the literature most commonly reports on cases involving the distal femoral articular surface, talus, and capitellum, there are case reports involving the patella, distal tibia, scaphoid, humeral head, and metatarsal heads as well, and bilaterality in some locations is not uncommon.1,2