What is osteochondral lesion elbow?

Osteochondral lesions of the elbow are injuries that disrupt the cartilage and subjacent bone, and they most commonly involve the capitellum. The staging, prognosis, and treatment of osteochondral lesions in the elbow are based on a combination of radiographic, magnetic resonance imaging, and arthroscopic findings.

How is osteochondral lesion diagnosed?

A physician will examine the joint for instability and range of motion. An X-ray may be ordered, but a cartilage tear is difficult to see on an X-ray, so a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan may be required. In some cases, both an MRI and CT are needed to diagnose an osteochondral lesion.

How do you fix osteochondral lesions?

The common treatment strategies of symptomatic OLTs include nonsurgical treatment with rest, cast immobilisation and use of NSAIDs; surgical treatment includes surgical excision of the lesion, excision and curettage, excision combined with curettage and microfracturing, filling of the defect with autogenous cancellous …

What osteochondral means?

Medical Definition of osteochondral : relating to or composed of bone and cartilage.

What causes an osteochondral defect?

Most osteochondral defects are caused by one of two events: Wear and tear over time. Injury from sports or physical activity: Injuries usually occur with a combination of twisting force and direct impact that damages the cartilage.

What would an MRI of the elbow show?

MRI has become the secondary procedure of choice, after plain-film x-ray, for evaluating elbow abnormalities. The modality can visualize ligament and tendon injuries, compressive or entrapment neuropathy, bone injuries, inflammatory and synovial conditions, and soft-tissue masses.

Does your whole body go in for an elbow MRI?

Your whole body does not go in the machine, only the half or part that needs to be scanned. One thing you’ll need to know is that the machine is noisy. It makes a lot of different noises, and some of them are extremely loud. Some patients say it sounds like a sledgehammer.

What are the MRI findings of OCD instability of the elbow?

MRI findings of OCD instability of the elbow include an osteochondral defect, intraarticular body, overlying cartilage changes, subchondral bone disruption, and rim of high signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images.

What is the radiographic appearance of an osteochondral lesion?

In general, the characteristic radiographic imaging appearance of an osteochondral lesion includes radiolucency and rarefaction of the osseous articular surface, most commonly involving the capitellum (Figure 4A). Morphologic alterations of the articular surface can be present in the form of flattening and irregularity of the subchondral bone.

Where does osteochondritis dissecans occur in the elbow?

Overlying articular cartilage is intact. When occurring in the elbow, osteochondritis dissecans refers primarily to lesions of the anterior aspect of the capitellum, although lesions of the trochlea, radial head, olecranon, and olecranon fossa have been described1.

How to tell if you have osteochondral injury of the elbow?

Patients typically present with pain, swelling, and tenderness over the lateral aspect of the elbow. Radiographs show rarefaction and flattening of the capitellar epiphysis with poorly defined cortical margins. Fragmentation, fissuring, and sclerosis of the capitellum can also be observed 1.