A team of researchers investigated the outcomes of treating discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) that is associated with osteochondritis dissecans. They discovered that age plays a significant role in the recurrence of osteochondritis dissecans or its development after surgery, particularly in patients aged 9 and younger.
While growing pains are a normal part of childhood development, sometimes growth can be irregular and lead to injuries. An example of this is the discoid lateral meniscus (DLM), which is an abnormally shaped knee cartilage that can deteriorate into osteochondritis dissecans—a condition where a bone or joint starts to separate from surrounding bones. Studies have indicated that osteochondritis dissecans in the femoral condyle arises in around 14.5% of DLM cases, yet there has been limited research on how to treat it effectively.
Dr. Ken Iida, along with Specially Appointed Professor Yusuke Hashimoto and their team from Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Medicine, examined the occurrence of osteochondritis dissecans after surgery. Their research included two groups: those with DLM and osteochondritis dissecans of the outer femoral epicondyle, and those with DLM but without osteochondritis dissecans. The study focused on 95 DLM patients aged 15 and under who had undergone surgeries between 2003 and 2017, with a follow-up period of five years. Among these, there were 15 cases in the pre-osteochondritis dissecans group, while the remaining 80 patients did not have the condition.
The results revealed that surgical outcomes for osteochondritis dissecans were favorable in the pre-osteochondritis cases, but 28.5% experienced a recurrence of the disorder. Conversely, in the non-osteochondritis dissecans group, 8.8% were later diagnosed with the condition following their surgery. The analysis also showed that age was a crucial risk factor for experiencing a relapse or developing osteochondritis dissecans after surgery, especially among those aged 9 years and younger.
“Patients with DLM alongside osteochondritis dissecans of the femoral condyle often face challenges when it comes to choosing a treatment,” stated Dr. Iida. “Our study suggests that for patients aged 9 and under, it may be more beneficial to explore conservative treatment options instead of rushing into surgery.”
