Osteochondral Defects in the Ankle Joint

Abstract

Osteochondral defects (OCDs), also known as osteochondritis dissecans, can cause pain and decreased function in patients and offer a significant challenge to the foot and ankle surgeons. An OCD is a lesion involving articular hyaline cartilage, the subchondral bone plate and the subarticular spongiosa. An OCD is mostly caused by a single or multiple traumatic events leading to partial or complete detachment of the osteochondral fragment with or without osteonecrosis. Osteochondral ankle defects can be seen in the tibial plafond but occur predominantly on the talar dome.