OCD

This is an MRI slice through the knee joint in a young person. The horizontal dark lines are the growth plates of the femur above and the tibia below, and they are normal. But if you look at the junction of the two bones on the left hand side you will see a dark crater, which is not normal. This is an area of osteochondritis dissecans damage in the bone and cartilage of the femur.

What is an osteochondral defect?

An osteochondral defect is a circumscribed area of joint damage, where the rest of the joint is mostly in good condition, such as might follow from a blow on the knee.

Back to top

What is osteochondritis dissecans?

Osteochondritis dissecans is a particular type of osteochondral defect caused by a failure of blood supply to a small area, which local loosening of a small chunk of bone and cartilage in a similar way

Back to top