An osteochondral defect in the Ankle is an injury to the articular cartilage that lines the bone. The talus bone is the most affected bone.
Causes
The most common cause of an OCD in the ankle is a trauma such as a sever sprain.
This can also occur as a result of repetitive microtrauma such as someone having recurrent instability.
Symptoms
Pain directly at the ankle joint where the talus sits.
Swelling that recurs and does not fully go away.
Repeated catching, clicking or locking of the joint
Diagnosis
X-rays are always obtained after trauma. Sometimes the OCD can be seen on x-ray.
Usually an MRI is the best test confirm an OCD injury in the ankle.
Treatment
If the cracked cartilage piece is not displaced and no bare bone is showing then sometime conservative treatment, such as a cast boot and physical therapy, may help.
If the cartilage fragment is displaced and bare bone is showing, then typically a minimally invasive ankle arthroscopy procedure is needed to cover the bare bone and to stop and further cartilage from flaking off.
Some patients choose that prefer non-surgical treatment try PRP (plasma rich protein) injections and have had very good results.
