Juvenile Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee

James H. Swain, Nathan L. Grimm, Kevin G. Shea

DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2010.0413

The patient was a 13-year-old male soccer player who was referred to a physical therapist with complaints of persistent worsening left medial knee pain with weight-bearing activity. Physical examination revealed no signs of joint effusion, lower extremity range-of-motion or strength discrepancies, ligamentous compromise, or tenderness to palpation. However, the patient reported discomfort with weight bearing, and a slightly antalgic gait was observed. Knee radiographs revealed a concave lucency involving the medial femoral condyle, consistent with an osteochondritis dissecans lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed an osteochondritis dissecans lesion of the medial femoral condyle, and the patient was diagnosed with stage I juvenile osteochondritis dissecans of the knee. Conservative management by a physical therapist was the recommended treatment, and after 6 months, the patient no longer complained of left knee pain, and repeat knee radiographs demonstrated evidence of a healing osteochondritis dissecans lesion.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2010;40(8):534. doi:10.2519/jospt.2010.0413

KEY WORDS: magnetic resonance imaging, medial femoral condyle, radiographs

The authors present the case of a 13-year-old male soccer player who was referred to a physical therapist with complaints of persistent worsening left medial knee pain with weight-bearing activity.

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