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Osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow

  • Elbow Soft Tissue Surgery (L Oh, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Capitellar osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) can be a significant problem in adolescent overhead athletes. The cause is likely multifactorial secondary to repetitive stresses, biomechanical mismatch, and a tenuous vascular supply of the capitellum. Recent literature reveals that the prevalence is likely higher than previously thought. This, in conjunction with increased levels of athletic competition in children at younger ages, has fed the recent interest in this topic. The literature continues to show that non-operative treatment is still successful for stable lesions. Unstable lesions, therefore, have been the focus of the new literature regarding operative management and outcomes. The aim of this paper is to provide a summary of current literature and an up-to-date approach to the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of osteochondritis dissecans of the capitellum.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, 3800 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC, 20007, USA

    Ryan W. Churchill

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, PH-1122, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Julianne Munoz & Christopher S. Ahmad

Authors
  1. Ryan W. Churchill
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  2. Julianne Munoz
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  3. Christopher S. Ahmad
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Correspondence to Christopher S. Ahmad.

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Conflict of interest

Ryan W. Churchill and Julianne Munoz declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Christopher S. Ahmad reports receiving grants and research support from Arthrex, Major League Baseball, and Stryker. He has served as a consultant for Arthrex and Acumed.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Elbow Soft Tissue Surgery

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Churchill, R.W., Munoz, J. & Ahmad, C.S. Osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 9, 232–239 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-016-9342-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-016-9342-y

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