What is a femoral condyle lesion?
An osteochondral defect of the femoral condyle (✩) may be the result of several acute and chronic conditions that produce a surface deformity with a localized defect of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone.
What causes chondral lesions in the knee?
Chondral lesions are caused through degradation of joint cartilage, in response to metabolic, genetic, vascular and traumatic stimuli. They can occur because of a single episode of overload on the knee joint, or through several cyclical episodes of small magnitude.
How is osteochondral lesion treated?
The common treatment strategies of symptomatic osteochondral lesions include nonsurgical treatment, with rest, cast immobilisation and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
What is osteochondral lesion medial femoral condyle?
Overview. Osteochondral lesions or osteochondritis dessicans can occur in any joint, but are most common in the knee and ankle. Such lesions are a tear or fracture in the cartilage covering one of the bones in a joint. The cartilage can be torn, crushed or damaged and, in rare cases, a cyst can form in the cartilage.
What is Outerbridge classification?
The Outerbridge classification is a grading system for joint cartilage breakdown: Grade 0 – normal. Grade I – cartilage with softening and swelling. Grade II – a partial-thickness defect with fissures on the surface that do not reach subchondral bone or exceed 1.5 cm in diameter.
Does an osteochondral lesion require surgery?
Treatments. Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, treatment may be surgical or non-surgical, depending on the nature of the OLT, presence of other injuries, and patient characteristics. Non-surgical treatment is appropriate for certain lesions and usually involves immobilization and restricted weightbearing.
What is the lateral femoral condyle?
The lateral condyle is one of the two projections on the lower extremity of the femur. The other one is the medial condyle. The lateral condyle is the more prominent and is broader both in its front-to-back and transverse diameters.
How long does it take for knee cartilage to heal?
Most patients are able to return to some physical activity after six to eight weeks, but full recovery after cartilage repair surgery can take anywhere from three to six months.
What is a Grade 3 chondral defect?
Chondral damage is graded from mild to severe, and all grades can have characteristics of osteoarthritis. Grade I – The cartilage “blisters” and becomes soft in the earliest form of damage. Grade II and III – As the condition worsens, the cartilage may become fibrillated (it has a shredded appearance).
Can osteochondral lesions heal?
In general, osteochondral lesions do not heal on their own. Treatment is usually determined by the stability of the lesion and the amount of pain that it causes you. For small cartilage lesions, especially in younger patients, doctors typically prescribe immobilization with a removable cast, called a cam walker.
What causes osteochondral defects of the lateral femoral condyle?
It is likely therefore that the lateral femoral condyle osteochondral injuries result from a shearing force that occurs during the first stage of injury. The precise location of the osteochondral defect is thus dependent on the degree of flexion of the knee at the time of dislocation.
What are the MRI results of lateral femoral dislocation?
The typical MRI findings after transient lateral dislocation of the patella have been well described and include a bone contusion pattern involving the inferomedial pole of the patella and the anterolateral aspect of the nonarticular portion of the lateral femoral condyle.
Where is the nonarticular marrow edema of the lateral femoral condyle?
The nonarticular marrow edema involving the lateral femoral condyle is always centered anterior to the chondral defect of the lateral femoral condyle, which suggests that the knee is likely more extended as the second stage of injury begins.
How big are osteochondral defects in the patella?
MRI of Osteochondral Defects of the Lateral Femoral Condyle: Incidence and Pattern of Injury After Transient Lateral Dislocation of the Patella. The average size of the defects was 1.2 cm in the anteroposterior diameter and 1.0 cm in the transverse diameter.