Recovery: Average recovery time after undergoing surgery to repair an osteochondral lesion of the talus ranges from
four to six weeks
. It is recommended that you avoid bearing weight until your ankle has healed.
How long does it take to recover from OCD ankle surgery?
Osteochondritis Dissecans Surgery Recovery
On average, it can take
about eight weeks
before bones and soft tissues heal. You will need to wear a cast during this time. Eventually, you may need to go to physical therapy to rebuild strength and to help heal bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons.
How long does it take to recover from osteochondritis dissecans surgery?
It usually takes
3 months or longer
to heal completely. If it heals completely, kids who have it usually don’t have any long-lasting problems.
Do osteochondral lesions heal?
Most osteochondral talar defects are caused by trauma.
They may heal and remain asymptomatic or progress to subchondral cysts with deep ankle pain on weight bearing
.
What is a osteochondral lesion of the ankle?
Osteochondral lesions or osteochondritis dessicans can occur in any joint, but are most common in the knee and ankle. Such lesions are
a tear or fracture in the cartilage covering one of the bones in a joint
. The cartilage can be torn, crushed or damaged and, in rare cases, a cyst can form in the cartilage.
How do you fix osteochondral lesions?
- Cast immobilization: If the OLT occurs following an acute injury, initial immobilization in a cast for 4-6 weeks can help reduce stress on the OLT and allow healing. …
- Physical therapy: working on strengthening the muscles around the ankle, range of motion of the ankle, and balancing (proprioception)
Are osteochondral lesions serious?
As this condition progresses, symptoms may worsen, especially if there is loose pieces of cartilage or bone within the ankle.
Left untreated, osteochondral lesions may cause chronic pain and swelling, and may eventually limit the motion of the joint
.
How common are osteochondral lesions?
Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) are the most common ankle articular cartilage injury. OLT occur in
up to 50% of acute ankle sprains
and are frequently associated with sports-related injuries [1].
What is a bone fragment in ankle?
Loose bodies are bone or cartilage fragments that have chipped off inside the joint
. If left in place, they can damage the joint surface, cause pain, and restrict ankle movement. Your surgeon can remove loose bodies from the joint. This will help restore normal, smooth ankle motion.
How serious is osteochondritis dissecans?
Osteochondritis dissecans
can increase your risk of eventually developing osteoarthritis in that joint
.
Can an OCD lesion heal on its own?
In many younger children who still have a lot of growing to do,
the lesion often heals on its own
. Surgical intervention may be needed if nonsurgical treatment is not effective. Surgery may be recommended for patients with large lesions or those that have separated from the bone.
Does osteochondritis dissecans require surgery?
Treatment of osteochondritis dissecans
may include nonoperative or operative intervention
. Surgical treatment is indicated mainly by lesion stability, physeal closure, and clinical symptoms.
Can osteochondral fracture heal?
Because osteochondral fractures involve the subchondral bone,
there is the potential that some of these injuries may heal without intervention
. Non-operative treatment of these lesions generally involves a period of non- or restricted- weight bearing and joint protection.
Is an osteochondral lesion a fracture?
Osteochondral lesion also referred to as osteochondritis dessicans or osteochondral fractures are
injuries to the bottom bone of the ankle joint (talus) where a thin layer of the bone, along with the overlying cartilage, comes loose from the end of a bone
.
What is considered a large osteochondral lesion?
When a cartilage defect or lesion is very large (for example
> 1cm in size
), we may consider cutting out the lesion and replacing it with a plug of bone and cartilage from another part of the joint that is not involved in joint motion. This treatment is known as an osteochondral transplant.
How long does it take ankle cartilage to heal?
Following treatment, patients will go through a period of non-weight bearing activity to allow the cartilage to heal. On average, this period lasts approximately
4-6 weeks
, however, your doctor will discuss a timeline with you based on the extent of your injury and your personal needs.
Why does my ankle seized up?
Your ankle may be locking up due to an osteochondral lesion
. An osteochondral lesion of the ankle occurs when trauma knocks loose a chip of bone or fragment of cartilage. That piece then catches between the tibia and the talus.
Why does my ankle lock up at night?
Researchers estimate that more than 3% of Americans have
ankle osteoarthritis
. This condition can cause the ankle to stiffen and become painful when you’re sleeping. These symptoms are likely caused by the ankle positions or lack of movement that occurs while you’re asleep.
Can your ankle lock up?
Severe locking or catching symptoms, where the ankle freezes up and will not bend,
may indicate that there is a large osteochondral lesion or even a loose piece of cartilage or free bone within the joint
.
Is a lesion a fracture?
Types and treatment. Bone lesions are areas of bone that are changed or damaged.
Causes of bone lesions include infections, fractures, or tumors
. When cells within the bone start to divide uncontrollably, they are sometimes called bone tumors.
Can a broken ankle be misdiagnosed?
Unfortunately
this misdiagnosis can happen after many visits with your treating doctor
, with the doctor getting multiple chances to get the diagnosis right and still missing it. As a result, the bone heals on its own without appropriate placement. This is called a nonunion.
What causes an osteochondral fracture?
The mechanism of injury most often occurs in
a weight-bearing position with a twisting or torquing force on the joint
. Another possible cause of the OCF happens with a lateral dislocation of the patella.
