Osteochondritis dissecans

What it means

A joint disorder caused by blood deprivation in the subchondral bone causing the subchondral bone to die in a process called avascular necrosis. The bone is then reabsorbed by the body, leaving the articular cartilage it supported prone to damage. The result is fragmentation (dissection) of both cartilage and bone, and the free movement of these osteochondral fragments within the joint space, causing pain and further damage.

Joints that are most often affected by Osteochondrosis dissecans are elbow and hip, but also wrist and ankel joints.

Rare diseases that can present with this4

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Osteochondrosis dissecans