The Demographics and Epidemiology of Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee in Children and Adolescents

Background:Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a disorder of subchondral bone and articular cartilage whose incidence in children is not clearly known.Purpose:The purpose of this study was to assess the demographics and epidemiology of OCD of the knee in children.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:A retrospective chart review of an integrated health system was performed on patients with OCD of the knee aged 2 to 19 years from 2007 to 2011, with over 1 million patients in this cohort. Lesion location, laterality, and all patient demographics were recorded. The incidence of OCD was determined for the group as a whole and by sex and age group (2-5 years, 6-11 years, and 12-19 years). Patient differences based on age, sex, and ethnicity were analyzed, and using multivariable logistic regression models, associations between age, sex, ethnicity, and diagnosis of OCD of the knee were evaluated.Results:One hundred ninety-two patients with 206 OCD lesions of the knee fit the inclusion criteria. No ...