Juvenile osteochondritis dissecans in the lateral femoral condyle requiring osteochondral autograft as a revision procedure: a case report

The optimal treatment option for osteochondritis dissecans of the knee is still controversial. We report the case of a boy who developed osteochondritis dissecans in the lateral femoral condyles of his bilateral knees requiring repeat surgical procedures. There has been no literature reporting juvenile osteochondritis dissecans of bilateral knees requiring repeat surgical procedures.

A 6-year-old Japanese boy presented with pain in his bilateral knees. Although conservative treatment with prohibition of sports activities was continued for 6 months, healing could not be attained. Conservative treatment consisting of prohibition of sports activities that included running and jumping and use of a brace with a locking mechanism at full extension was applied. He was instructed to walk with the brace. Since his lateral femoral osteochondritis dissecans lesion was located at the contact area during flexion, weight bearing with the use of the brace could effectively unload the lesion. Surgery was subsequently conducted on his left knee which had a more advanced stage lesion. Transchondral drilling was performed because the articular surface maintained its smooth continuity. At 9 months after the surgery, no appreciable healing was observed in the follow-up radiographs. Moreover, during the postoperative time course, lesions suggestive of osteochondritis dissecans in his contralateral right knee had become more evident. Based on the diagnosis of delayed union of bilateral osteochondritis dissecans lesions, a second surgery was attempted. The preceding arthroscopic observation of his left knee showed preserved surface continuity with softening and suspected partial detachment. Considering the delayed healing process observed in this patient, autogenous cylindrical osteochondral graft transplantation (8 mm in diameter) was performed as a revision procedure, while transchondral drilling was performed for the stable osteochondritis dissecans lesion in his right knee. Postoperatively, healing was achieved at 6 months.

Following failed conservative treatment, he underwent arthroscopic drilling; however, the osteochondritis dissecans lesion did not heal requiring revision surgery using a cylindrical autogenous osteochondral graft. Finally, clinical and radiological healing was attained 6 months after the second surgery. Initial presentation at a young age with bilateral lesions may be clinical factors related to poor healing response and susceptibility to stress-related subchondral lesions.