Surgery for early stage osteochondritis dissecans of the knee in young adults: a preliminary report.

Results are reported of surgical treatment and a 7-year follow up of a group of seven young adults (average age, 17.9 years) suffering from early-stage osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the medial femoral condyle. A randomly selected group of patients was treated surgically by drilling and shaving the OCD lesion. Results of radiological examination demonstrated healing of the lesion within 4 to 7 months in all cases. Subjective and objective evaluation indicated that patients complained of pain, limitation of mobility and activity for 20.3 months prior to surgery, but were symptom-free 3.2 months following surgery and remained so for the 7 years of follow up. The role of early surgery for the early stage of the disease is discussed.