Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
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.
The cause of osteochondritis dissecans is often unknown. Theories include mild recurrent injuries, or growth disturbances.
Symptoms of osteochondritis dissecans are a direct result of the irregularity of the cartilage within the affected joint. Symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, and even locking of the joint so that its range of motion is significantly limited to the point that it cannot be moved beyond a limited range. For example, when osteochondritis dissecans affects the elbow, the joint may not move beyond 90 degrees of extension instead of being able to fully extend straight to 180 degrees.
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 or symptoms. Arthroscopic surgery is a frequently used procedure to remove the loose cartilage and bone tissue from the joint.
Sometimes, especially in the very young, osteochondritis dissecans can spontaneously correct itself.
Indicators of a worse prognosis include a large-sized lesion, a lesion on a weight-bearing area, and older age of the patient.
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