Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Shoulder and Hip

Understanding Osteochondritis Dissecans: A Narrative Review of the Disease Commonly Affecting Children and Adolescents

BACKGROUND

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a joint disorder predominantly affecting the knee, elbow, and ankle of children and adolescents. This comprehensive review delves into the epidemiology, etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, and treatment of OCD.

RESULTS

The most common cause of OCD is repetitive microtrauma, typically associated with sports activities, alongside other significant factors such as genetic predisposition, ischemia, and obesity. In early stages or when lesions are small, OCD often presents as non-specific, vaguely localized pain during physical activity. As the condition progresses, patients may experience an escalation in symptoms, including increased stiffness and occasional swelling, either during or following activity. These symptom patterns are crucial for early recognition and timely intervention. Diagnosis in most cases is based on radiographic imaging and magnetic resonance imaging. Nonsurgical treatment of OCD in young patients with open growth plates and mild symptoms involves activity restriction, immobilization methods, and muscle strengthening exercises, with a return to sports only after symptoms are fully resolved and at least six months have passed. Surgical treatment of OCD includes subchondral drilling in mild cases. Unstable lesions involve methods like restoring the joint surface, stabilizing fractures, and enhancing blood flow, using techniques such as screws, anchors, and pins, along with the removal of fibrous tissue and creation of vascular channels. The specifics of OCD treatment largely depend on the affected site.

CONCLUSIONS

This synthesis of current research and clinical practices provides a nuanced understanding of OCD, guiding future research directions and enhancing therapeutic strategies.

Arthroscopic Femoral Head Allograft With Proximal Femoral/Periacetabular Osteotomies for Sequelae of Perthes: A Case Report

CASE

We describe the unique case of a 20-year-old man with a history of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, hip dysplasia, and osteochondral fragmentation of the medial femoral head. We performed arthroscopic femoroplasty and femoral head allografting, followed by a valgus-producing derotational femoral osteotomy (DFO) and periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). At 1-year follow-up, the patient achieved osseous union and complete femoral head healing with return to his active hobbies.

CONCLUSION

We describe the successful utilization of arthroscopic allografting for medial femoral head osteochondral fragmentation. To our knowledge, this is the first report on femoral head arthroscopic allografting before DFO and PAO.

A Comparative Analysis of Osteochondritis Dissecans and Avascular Necrosis: A Comprehensive Review

Musculoskeletal disorders, standing as the fifth leading cause of disability-adjusted life years globally, present significant challenges in orthopedics. Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and avascular necrosis (AVN) are distinct but closely related conditions within this spectrum, impacting patients' quality of life with pain, limited mobility, and dysfunction. OCD, involving cartilage and bone detachment in joints, predominantly affects young athletes, but its exact etiology and optimal management remain subjects of ongoing research. Conversely, AVN, marked by bone tissue death due to compromised blood supply, is linked to systemic factors like corticosteroid use and traumatic injuries. Diagnosis for both conditions relies on radiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Conservative treatment for AVN includes the use of a cane or crutches, pharmacological therapy, or physical therapy. On the other hand, in OCD, the primary approach is activity/sports restriction. Surgical treatment options for AVN patients encompass core decompression, bone grafting, or, in the most advanced cases, total hip arthroplasty. OCD may be surgically treated through subchondral drilling or fixation of unstable lesions. Advanced cases of OCD involve cartilage salvage with resurfacing techniques. The presentation of differences between these conditions enhances our understanding, facilitating improved diagnosis and management strategies.

Management of chondral and osteochondral lesions of the hip : A comprehensive review

Chondral and osteochondral lesions encompass several acute or chronic defects of the articular cartilage and/or subchondral bone. These lesions can result from several different diseases and injuries, including osteochondritis dissecans, osteochondral defects, osteochondral fractures, subchondral bone osteonecrosis, and insufficiency fractures. As the cartilage has a low capacity for regeneration and self-repair, these lesions can progress to osteoarthritis. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the subject matter that it covers. PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar were accessed using the following keywords: "chondral lesions/defects of the femoral head", "chondral/cartilage lesions/defects of the acetabulum", "chondral/cartilage lesions/defects of the hip", "osteochondral lesions of the femoral head", "osteochondral lesions of the acetabulum", "osteochondral lesions of the hip", "osteochondritis dissecans," "early osteoarthritis of the hip," and "early stage avascular necrosis". Hip osteochondral injuries can cause significant damage to the articular surface and diminish the quality of life. It can be difficult to treat such injuries, especially in patients who are young and active. Several methods are used to treat chondral and osteochondral injuries of the hip, such as mesenchymal stem cells and cell-based treatment, surgical repair, and microfractures. Realignment of bony anatomy may also be necessary for optimal outcomes. Despite several treatments being successful, there is a lack of head-to-head comparisons and large sample size studies in the current literature. Additional research will be required to provide appropriate clinical recommendations for treating chondral/osteochondral injuries of the hip joint.

Bilateral osteochondritis dissecans of the shoulder

Osteochondritis dissecans as a pathology is pre-dominantly described in the knee, elbow and ankle. Osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral head is a more uncommon reported injury. We present a case of a bilateral osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral head in a 16-year-old soccer player and an algorithm for treatment of OCD of the humeral head. To our knowledge this has never been described so specifically in literature before.

Osteochondritis dissecans of the glenoid: an analysis of grades, treatment, and outcomes

Background

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is an idiopathic disorder of subchondral bone that causes focal articular cartilage disruption with the potential long-term consequence of premature osteoarthritis. Glenoid OCD is exceedingly rare. This case series aims to identify the grades of glenoid OCD and report its grade-specific treatment with clinical, radiological, and functional outcomes.

Methods

Prospectively collected data of consecutive patients diagnosed with a symptomatic glenoid OCD, who had a minimum 2-year follow-up, following nonoperative or surgical treatment, was retrospectively analyzed. Osteochondral defects secondary to acute trauma, instability, and primary osteoarthritis were excluded. Pretreatment and posttreatment clinical, radiological, and sports participation data were collected. This included pretreatment MRI for grading of glenoid OCD according to the International Cartilage Research Society (ICRS) OCD staging system, and postoperative MRI for grading of articular cartilage repair using the MOCART (MRI observation of cartilage repair tissue) scoring system.

Results

The study identified 7 competitive overhead athletes with symptomatic unilateral glenoid OCD, with a post-treatment minimum 2-year follow-up. Of 4 patients with ICRS OCD I, 3 healed with nonoperative treatment, whereas 1 progressed to ICRS OCD II. This patient along with another 3 patients with unstable glenoid OCD underwent arthroscopic OCD excision with bone marrow stimulation cartilage repair. All patients improved following treatment and had full passive and active range of shoulder movements, with normal strength and stability at the 2- year follow-up. The mean MOCART score on MRI at 2 years for the 4 patients who underwent surgery was 82.5 (range, 75-90). MRI documented healing in all 3 patients with ICRS OCD I who underwent nonoperative treatment. All patients returned to the same or higher level of sport following treatment, with mean time to return to sports being 8.0 months (range, 6-11 months) for nonoperative treatment, and 6.8 months (range, 5-10 months) for operative treatment. This difference was not statistically significant (P value .55). No patient had recurrence of symptoms till latest follow-up.

Conclusion

Despite the glenoid being a concave non–weight-bearing articular surface, OCD at this site has pathological grades similar to other convex weight-bearing articular surfaces. Notwithstanding the limited number of cases, it would appear that ICRS OCD I can often be successfully treated with nonoperative treatment, whereas ICRS OCD II, III, IV, warrant operative treatment. Bone marrow stimulation is a safe and predictable option for glenoid OCD cartilage repair and allows athletes a quick and successful return to sports.

Unstable Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Glenoid Fixed with Autogenous Osteochondral Plugs in a College Baseball Player: A Case Report

CASE

A 19-year-old college baseball outfielder presented with a 3-month history of right shoulder pain. Radiographs, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging showed a large osteochondral defect at the posterosuperior aspect of the glenoid. Arthroscopic evaluation identified an unstable fragment that was partially attached. Fixation of the osteochondral fragment was achieved with autogenous osteochondral plugs through a posterior arthrotomy. At 8 months after surgery, the patient was able to return to his former competitive level of performance.

CONCLUSION

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) rarely affects the glenoid. Fixation of a large glenoid OCD lesion with autogenous osteochondral plugs was a successful treatment in this patient.

Cryopreserved, Viable Osteochondral Allograft for the Treatment of a Full-Thickness Cartilage Defect of the Glenoid

Glenoid chondral injuries constitute challenging injuries to treat because of the limited access and the limited options and evidence available for their resolution. The purpose of this Technical Note is to describe the procedure, pearls, and pitfalls of implantation of a cryopreserved osteochondral allograft (Cartiform) for the treatment of full-thickness cartilage defects of the shoulder. Cartiform is a cryopreserved osteochondral allograft composed of chondrocytes, chondrogenic growth factors, and extracellular matrix proteins that can be implanted through a single-stage procedure.

Etiology of Shoulder Arthritis in Young Patients

The manifestation of glenohumeral arthritis in the young adult is a devastating occurrence that can be difficult to manage. This review details the many underlying etiologies including genetic causes, congenital abnormalities, glenohumeral instability, posttraumatic lesions, postcapsulorraphy arthropathy, osteonecrosis, intraarticular pain pump postoperative use, radiofrequency/thermal capsulorraphy treatments, septic arthritis/infection, and inflammatory arthropathies. Although each of these potential causes have been well-studied, their contributions to the development of glenohumeral arthritis in the young person has not been described extensively.

Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation for Treatment of Large Cartilage Defects of the Femoral Head: A Minimum Two-Year Follow-Up Study of Twenty-Two Patients

BACKGROUND

Controversy remains over the surgical management of large osteochondral lesions of the femoral head in young, active patients. The purpose of this study is to assess midterm clinical and radiographic outcomes after fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation (OAT) for large femoral head lesions at minimum 2-year follow-up.

METHODS

A retrospective review of prospectively collected data was performed for 22 patients under the age of 50 years with defined femoral head osteochondral lesions who underwent fresh OAT between 2008 and 2015. Patients were assessed clinically using the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) preoperatively and at each follow-up visit. Postoperative radiographs were evaluated for graft integrity and Kellgren & Lawrence Grade for osteoarthritis severity. Complications and reoperation were assessed by chart review. Kaplan-Meier survivorship analyses with 95% confidence intervals were performed for the end point of conversion to total hip arthroplasty.

RESULTS

At a mean follow-up of 68.8 months (26-113), the mean mHHS improved significantly (P < .001) from 48.9 (19-84) to 77.4 (35-98). Sixteen of 22 patients (72.7%) had an mHHS ≥70 at the latest follow-up. Arthritic progression, as indicated by an increase in the Kellgren & Lawrence Grade, occurred in 4 of 22 hips (18.2%). Five patients (22.7%) underwent conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Graft survivorship was 86.4 ± 7.3% at 2 years, 78.5 ± 10.0% at 5 years, and 67.3 ± 13.5% at 9 years.

CONCLUSION

Fresh OAT may be a viable treatment option for osteochondral defects of the femoral head in young, active patients with minimal preexisting joint deformity.

Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Glenoid in a Major League Baseball Prospect: A Case Report

CASE

A 16-year-old Major League Baseball prospect presented with persistent shoulder pain associated with throwing. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a large osteochondritis dissecans lesion in the posterosuperior aspect of the glenoid. The patient was restricted from throwing and underwent therapy to improve range of motion and throwing mechanics. Eight months after initiating nonoperative treatment, an MRI arthrogram demonstrated a healed lesion. At follow-up 2 years after treatment, full relief of symptoms had persisted.

CONCLUSION

Osteochondritis dissecans lesions of the glenoid are extremely rare, but have the potential to heal in overhead-throwing athletes. To our knowledge, this is the only case reported in the literature that demonstrates a healed osteochondritis dissecans lesion of the glenoid following nonoperative treatment.

Hip Arthroscopic Osteochondral Autologous Transplantation for Treating Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Femoral Head

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the femoral head is not a common source of hip pain. Hip arthroscopy is becoming a more frequent indication for intra-articular pathologies of the hip. Osteochondral autologous transplantation is a promising technique that theoretically can reconstruct osteochondral lesions of the femoral head. We describe our technique for arthroscopic antegrade osteochondral autologous transplantation for the treatment of OCD of the femoral head. The advantages of this technique include that it is a less invasive method with the ability to assess and treat intra-articular pathologies associated with OCD of the femoral head at same time. Case series and outcomes after this technique are not currently reported in the literature; however, it could be a less invasive method and provide favorable clinical outcomes for patients with OCD lesions of the femoral head.

An Update on the Pathogenesis of Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is defined as a focal disturbance in endochondral ossification. The cartilage superficial to an osteochondrosis lesion can fracture, giving rise to fragments in joints known as osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). In pigs and horses, it has been confirmed that the disturbance in ossification is the result of failure of the blood supply to epiphyseal growth cartilage and associated ischemic chondronecrosis. The earliest lesion following vascular failure is an area of ischemic chondronecrosis at an intermediate depth of the growth cartilage (osteochondrosis latens) that is detectable ex vivo, indirectly using contrast-enhanced micro- and conventional computed tomography (CT) or directly using adiabatic T1ρ magnetic resonance imaging. More chronic lesions of ischemic chondronecrosis within the ossification front (osteochondrosis manifesta) are detectable by the same techniques and have also been followed longitudinally in pigs using plain CT. The results confirm that lesions sometimes undergo spontaneous resolution, and in combination, CT and histology observations indicate that this occurs by filling of radiolucent defects with bone from separate centers of endochondral ossification that form superficial to lesions and by phagocytosis and intramembranous ossification of granulation tissue that forms deep to lesions. Research is currently aimed at discovering the cause of the vascular failure in osteochondrosis, and studies of spontaneous lesions suggest that failure is associated with the process of incorporating blood vessels into the advancing ossification front during growth. Experimental studies also show that bacteremia can lead to vascular occlusion. Future challenges are to differentiate between causes of vascular failure and to discover the nature of the heritable predisposition for osteochondrosis.

Osteochondral lesion of the bilateral femoral heads in a young athletic patient

Osteochondral lesions of the femoral head are uncommon and few studies have reported their imaging findings. Since joints are at risk of early degeneration after osteochondral damage, timely recognition is important. Osteochondral lesions of femoral head may often be necessary to differentiate from avascular necrosis. Here, we report a case of osteochondral lesions on bilateral femoral heads. This lesion manifested as subchondral cysts in initial radiographs, which led to further evaluation by computed tomography arthrography and magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed overlying cartilage defects.