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Elbow Osteochondritis Dissecans

Epidemiology
1. Most commonly occurs in the knee
  1. May also be seen in the elbow, ankle, and hip
2. Adolescent males most commonly affected at elbow
Mechanism
1. Subchondral bone undergoes avascular necrosis
2. Articular cartilage separates from adjacent bone
3. Cartilage may extrude into joint to form loose body
Etiology
1. Traumatic origin
Symptoms
1. Dull, persistent aching pain at elbow
2. Gradual onset
3. Associated with stiffness
4. Occasional locking sensation
Signs
1. Limited Elbow Range of Motion
2. Local tenderness
3. Joint effusion
Radiology: Elbow XRay
1. Capitellum affected most commonly
Management
1. Rest with or without Sling
2. No throwing activities
3. Surgery to remove loose bodies
Prognosis
1. Good, but may have some residual elbow stiffness

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This page was written by Scott Moses, MD. This page was last revised before 5/10/08, prior to consistent tracking of revision date. This page was last published on 6/1/2008. Please send comments and questions to the editor. Contact information may be found on the page About the Family Practice Notebook. These pages are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0.