Osteochondrosis dissecans of the ankle joint
Osteochondrosis dissecans usually occurs in adolescence with the gradual detachment of a part of the articular surface of the bone/cartilage that is poorly supplied with blood. If untreated, this leads to the detachment of the "dissecate" in 4 successive stages. This free joint body is then often called a joint mouse.
Symptoms
Depending on the stage, load-dependent pain, swelling of the ankle joint and even signs of entrapment.
Causes
The cause of osteochondrosis dissecans, which can also occur in other joints (see also osteochondrosis dissecans of the knee), is ultimately unclear. Genetic causes and trauma are being discussed as causes.
Therapy
Purely conservative therapy with weight relief and physiotherapy can be attempted in the early stages. The treatment of choice for osteochondrosis dissecans, at least in the advanced stage, is a step-by-step procedure depending on the stage. In stages I and II, retrograde drilling leads to increased blood flow and reconnection of the detached section of bone cartilage (dissecate); in later stages, fixation of the dissecate is sometimes necessary. If the dissecate can no longer be saved, an OATS procedure (bone-cartilage transfer) is performed, in which the piece of bone-cartilage is replaced by a healthy, autologous bone-cartilage cylinder from the knee joint.
