title: Long term results of operative treatment of knee osteochondritis dissecans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the hypothesis that open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of an unstable osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesion results in a high percentage of acceptable outcomes at long-term follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients who had been treated with ORIF for unstable knee OCD lesions were identified. Long-term outcomes were assessed with a Subjective Knee Evaluation Form and Knee Examination Form of the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC 2000) and an OCD specific Hughston rating scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All lesions were healed and stable to arthroscopic probing at 3 months. At the average follow-up of 14.8 years (range 12-21 years), the mean IKDC subjective score was 80.9. In IKDC examination form, six patients reached group A (normal) and two patients reached groups B (near normal) and C (abnormal), respectively. According to Hughston criteria, three patients were rated excellent, three good, one fair, and one poor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend aggressive attempts to preserve articular cartilage in OCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Trauma, Celje General Hospital, Oblakova 5, Celje, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Samo K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Fokter
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strahovnik
authors.forename: Darjan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: Andraž
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dovnik
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fokter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D017846:Longitudinal Ligaments; D008297:Male; D010008:Osteochondritis Dissecans / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult