Viability of loose body fragments in osteochondritis dissecans of the knee. A series of cases.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the cartilage from loose osteochondral fragments remains viable. Five patients with OCD of the knee who had undergone surgical treatment (arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation of the loose body) were included. The average age of patients was 13 years (range 10-14 years). Cartilage samples were obtained from the loose body fragments before reattachment was performed (study group) and from the healthy native cartilage (intercondyle area, control group) from each of the five patients. Tissue viability was assessed using live-dead assay in both groups. All five loose osteochondral fragments showed similar viability to the healthy native cartilage group, with 88% cell viability (95% CI 50-100) in loose body fragments versus 92% viability (95% CI 50-100) from healthy cartilage. This study showed that cartilage from detached OCD fragments remains viable before reattachment is performed.

Manejo quirúrgico en osteocondritis disecante de rodilla / Surgical management of knee osteochondritis dissecans

Introduction: Many techniques exist for the surgical treatment of knee Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD). Objectives: Describe anatomic features and functional results of surgical treatment with different techniques in knee OCD. Methods: Consecutive series, fifteen patients treated surgically for knee OCD, between January 2001 - May 2008. We analyzed stability in MRI and arthroscopy, average surface area of the lesions, surgical techniques and postoperative complications. We followed our series at 29,8 months average with Lysholm and subjective IKDC scores. Results: Average age 18,6 years, 84,6 percent were male; 73,3 percent unstable on MRI; 66,6 percent of lesions located at the medial femoral condyle. Eleven cases treated with osteochondral autografts, 2 with osteochondral synthesis and 2 with microfractures and mechanic chondroplasty. No postoperative complications documented at follow up. Average postop Lysholm 93,3 points, average IKDC 88 points. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of unstable OCD offers good and excellent functional results at mid and long-term follow up.

Existen diversas técnicas para el tratamiento quirúrgico de la Osteocondritis Disecante (OCD) de la rodilla. Objetivos: Describir características anatómicas de la lesión y los resultados funcionales del tratamiento quirúrgico con diferentes técnicas en OCD de rodilla. Método: Serie consecutiva, 15 pacientes (Enero 2001-Mayo 2008). Se analiza estabilidad en Resonancia Magnética (RM), localización y estabilidad de lesión en artroscopia, área de superficie promedio de la lesión, técnica quirúrgica y complicaciones postoperatorias. Seguimiento promedio 29,8 meses con puntajes Lysholm e IKDC subjetivo. Edad promedio 18,6 años, 84,6 por ciento hombres. Resultados: 73,3 por ciento inestables en RM y 100 por ciento inestables en artroscopia; 66,6 por ciento en cóndilo femoral medial; 6 tipo C1, 4 tipo C2, 3 tipo C5 y 2 lesiones en patela. Once casos resueltos con autoinjertos osteocondrales, 2 con osteosíntesis y 2 con microfracturas. Área promedio de lesión 13,1 mm². No documentamos complicaciones. Promedios post operatorios: Lysholm 93,3; IKDC 88 puntos. Conclusión: La resolución quirúrgica de OCD inestables ofrece buenos y excelentes resultados funcionales en seguimiento a mediano y largo plazo en la mayoría de los pacientes.

Fixação interna de fragmento osteocondral originado de osteocondrite dissecante do joelho / Internal fixation of osteochondral fragment originated fro dissecting knee osteochondritis

O tratamento da osteocondrite dissecante do joelho com lesão tipo cratera associada a corpo livre intra-articular pode ser realizado pela fixação do fragmento osteocondral no seu local de origem. No entanto, existem controvérsias quanto à indicação e eficácia deste procedimento, principalmente quando o corpo livre está solto por tempo prolongado, já que existem relatos na literatura demonstrando deterioração do revestimento condral do mesmo diretamente relacionado com o intervalo decorrente de sua soltura. Relatamos um caso em que, apesar do fragmento osteocondral estar livre na articulação por aproximadamente cinco semanas, a sua fixação não trouxe complicações e resultou em cicatrização completa da lesão. Nós concluímos que, principalmente nos casos onde a lesão osteocondral no côndilo femoral envolve a superfície de carga, quando então o descarte do fragmento geralmente resultaria em mau prognóstico, as possíveis complicações da fixação tardia são compensadas pelos benefícios obtidos pela redução do fragmento osteocondral no local de origem, resultando na recuperação da congruência articular e possivelmente evitando um processo degenerativo articular precoce.

The treatment of dissecting knee osteochondritis with crater-like lesion associated to intra-articular loose body can be provided by fixating the osteochondral fragment on its original site. However, there is some concern about the efficacy of this approach, since some reports have shown that the cartilage layer in osteochondral loose bodies that have been detached for a long time becomes deteriorated. We report a case where while the osteochondral loose body was detached for as long as five weeks, the fixation to the osteochondral defect was uneventful and resulted in a completely healed lesion. We concluded that, especially in cases in which the lesion involves a weight-bearing area of the knee with a detached osteochondral fragment, when the prognosis is usually worse if the fragment is discarded, potential complications of the fixation are offset by the benefits achieved by reducing the osteochondral fragment at the crater-like lesion, resulting in better joint congruence, and potentially avoiding an early joint degeneration process.

Lesiones más comunes en la rodilla del corredor / The most common injuries in the runner's knee

En un afán de mantenerse en buenas condiciones de salud, el hombre ha extendido la práctica de la carrera a edades cada vez más tempranas y tardías; esto nos ha llevado a observar con más frecuencia afecciones clínicas que hasta hace poco eran relativamente raras. En esta revisión analizaremos estas enfermedades de la rodilla, y comentaremos el tratamiento de cada una de ellas