Osteochondritis dissecans by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Osteochondritis dissecans is a medical condition that results from a loss of blood supply to an area of bone beneath the surface of a joint. The knee is most commonly affected, although osteochondritis dissecans also can occur in other joints, including the elbow and ankle.

Osteochondritis dissecans questions
Q. My 13 year old son has been diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans in his knee from playing soccer. Can you recommend any supplement's? I have found in my web searches that "they" offer nutritional supplements for horses and dogs but for people the only recommendation is rest and/or surgery. We would like to avoid the surgery option.
According to the x-rays and MRI his knee cartilage looks very good, there are no "floaters" and no real reason to do surgery (in my opinion). There is evidence of bruising behind the cartilage (lack of blood flow) and this manifests itself as pain during practice and games. Taking Motrin has allowed him to play for the last 3 or 4 seasons. But this has gone on too long and I think we need to sit out a season. He's a good soccer player but its not worth permanent damage. I am looking at: Joint power Rx, hyaluronic acid, amino acids, calcium and magnesium (he will not drink his milk), and strontium. Any thing else you can suggest would be appreciated.
   A. Unfortunately, we are not aware of any studies with nutritional supplements for the treatment of osteochondritis dissecans. Perhaps dietary supplements play a role in this condition but we can't be sure. Since nutritional supplements are relatively safe, if his doctor approves it may be worthwhile to try certain supplements for joint health.

This osteochondritis dissecans page was last updated in January 2008.