Osteochondritis dissecans Or Avasular necrosis Knee

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and avascular necrosis (AVN) are conditions that affect the knee joint. OCD is a condition where a piece of bone and cartilage in the joint becomes loose or detached due to a lack of blood supply. AVN, on the other hand, occurs when there is a loss of blood supply to the bone, leading to bone cell death and eventual collapse of the bone.

Both OCD and AVN can cause knee pain and swelling, difficulty walking or bearing weight, and an increased risk of knee joint instability or collapse. The conditions are typically diagnosed through imaging tests such as X-rays, MRI, or CT scans.It is a condition where it breaks the articular cartilage and the underlying subchondral bone.

Causes

• It is caused due to decreased blood supply to the subchondral bone.
• This results in fragmentation of both cartilage and bone
• It causes loose bodies in the joint, further damaging the knee joint

Symptoms

• Pain
• Swelling
• Locking of knee joint
• Restricted movement
• Crackling noise

Investigation

• X-ray
• MRI Scan

Treatment

• Non-surgical treatment is rarely an option.
• If advised also protected or non-weight bearing walk and immobilization.

Surgical Treatment-

• Arthroscopic drilling of intact lesions
• Fixation of cartilage flap lesions with pins or screws,
• PRP or Stem Cell therapy
• If all the above treatment fails then Knee replacement.

Post surgery care

Two-stage process –

• Immobilization
• Rehab program