Recognition and treatment of osteochondritis dissecans of the femoral condyles.

Osteochondritis dissecans (OD) of the femoral condyles is a vague and often confusing diagnostic entity encountered by many clinicians. Unfortunately, there are several factors that add to this confusion. Chief among these is the proper recognition and understanding of the disease process, which is not well-documented. In addition, OD is often generically grouped together with other femoral condylar lesions that require differing diagnostic and treatment methods for proper care. OD is commonly divided into two categories, juvenile and adult forms. Each requires different methods of correction and rehabilitation. This paper describes the disease process of OD, explains the differences between the juvenile and adult forms (including common symptoms and diagnostic techniques), describes several of the pathologies that OD is mistakenly grouped with, and gives a brief review of the common arthroscopic and surgical techniques used to treat this pathology. In addition, rehabilitation guidelines and suggestions are offered to aid the athlete's return to functional activities.