Osteochondritis dissecans of the medial elbow trochlea treated with lateral clavicle autograft: a case report

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a pathology commonly found in knee joints but is also found in other sites notably ankle, hip, and elbow. 3OCD in the elbow is mostly seen in the capitellum of the humerus but can also, infrequently, develop in the medial trochlea of the humerus.OCD is most commonly seen in children and adolescents, particularly athletes in throwing sports, but it can occur less commonly in adults. 3OCD can be caused by multiple factors, including the overuse of a joint due to activity, injuries, or trauma.This results in damage to the bony vasculature, with the devascularized bone becoming necrotic, which can then break off and cause pain, locking, and consequent stiffness.Treatments range from rest and physical therapy for early or mild cases, to surgical intervention for late or more severe cases. 2 Past surgical methods have described the use of osteochondral allografts for knee OCD and autologous methods using bone from the femoral condyle and articular cartilage from the femoral intercondylar notch for the elbow. [1][2]][3] We describe a novel case of a humeral medial trochlear OCD in an adult treated with a lateral clavicle autograft, with allograft cartilage paste.