Clinical benefit of SPECT/CT for follow-up of surgical treatment of osteochondritis dissecans.
We present the case of a 17-year-old ice-hockey player, who complained about persistent left medial knee pain having undergone a refixation of a grade III osteochondritis dissecans with biodegradable pins, a reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a medial meniscal repair 1 year previously. Sequential MRIs performed 8 and 12 months after surgery were inconclusive, and failed to show the insufficient integration of the osteochondral fragment. Combined single photon emission and conventional computerized tomography (SPECT/CT) clearly revealed the cause of the patient's persistent knee problems-the osteochondral fragment had not integrated. SPECT/CT may hold great clinical value for symptomatic patients who have previously undergone treatment for osteochondral lesions, and it should be considered as alternative diagnostic imaging modality.
Konala
Praveen
P
Musculoskeletal Surgery Department, Imperial College, London, UK.
Iranpour
Farhad
F
Kerner
Anna
A
Rasch
Helmut
H
Friederich
Niklaus F
NF
Hirschmann
Michael T
MT
D000293:Adolescent; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010008:Osteochondritis Dissecans / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed