Who Is At Risk For Osteochondritis Dissecans & Is There A Blood Test For It?

Osteochondritis Dissecans take place in the bone joints i.e. the place, where a particular end of your bone connects with the end of any other bone. The condition occurs whenever there is an improper blood supply to the joint and thereby, makes the inner bone soft. The problem leads to a tiny part of bone dying as well as separating from a large one. The piece of bone combined of cartilage, which covers and safeguards the bone later on breaks and cracks to become loose.

The loose bone with the cartilage may stay in their places or can move within the joint area, both of which lead to unsteady joints. The condition creates a lesion, wherever the cartilage and the bone separate. The complete process requires months and sometimes a few years, while symptoms appear after a long while.⁽¹⁾

Osteochondritis Dissecans is common in teenage individuals and children from 10years to 20years. The problem tends to affect males more as compared to females.⁽³⁾

Even though the exact cause of Osteochondritis Dissecans is unknown, it may include-

Genetic Factors: Osteochondritis Dissecans involve an inherited type of genetic susceptibility. According to this, it affects multiple members of a family.

Knee Lesions Or Ligaments: You may suffer from the problem of OCD because of meniscal lesions and weak ligaments present in your knees.

Ischemia i.e. Blood Supply Restriction: Ischemia refers to the restriction in blood supply, which affects the bone. The zero blood supply mainly takes place because of various problems related to blood vessels and vascular problems. Your bone undergoes vascular necrosis i.e. deterioration caused due to lack of enough blood supply. Ischemia mainly takes place in combination with history related to trauma.

Chronic Stress On Your Joints And Bones: Repeated stress in the joints and bones significantly increase your risk related to the development of Osteochondritis Dissecans. Individuals involved in competitive sports remain at high risk to put stress on their joints.⁽²⁾

No, the problem of Osteochondritis Dissecans does not involve any blood test. However, your doctor recommends the following tests to determine the condition:

Physical Examination: During your physical examination, the doctor presses on your affected joint to check various areas of tenderness and swelling. In some of the cases, your doctor and you may even feel a loose fragment within the joint. Besides, your doctor will check a few of the additional structures across your joint, like for instance your ligaments. Other than this, your doctor will ask you moving your joints in different directions to identify the smooth movement of your joints through its regular motion range.

Imaging Tests: Once your doctor conducts a physical examination, he or she conducts additional imaging tests.

X-Rays: are responsible to highlight any type of abnormality present in the bones and joints.

CT Scan i.e. Computerized Tomography: The technique of computerized tomography combines various X-ray images captured from diverse angles to produce various images of different internal structures. CT scan allows your physician to detect the affected bone in detail and thereby, identify the loose fragments and their location in the joint.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging: MRI uses the combination of a strong magnetic field & radio waves to provide detailed images of both soft and hard tissues, including the tissues of cartilage and bone. If your symptoms worse or continue to experience symptoms, your doctor will recommend for an MRI even when your X-ray report comes normally.⁽⁴⁾

Risk factors related to Osteochondritis Dissecans are many, like age, genetic factors, stress to bones and joints, ligament problems, and many more. However, there is no blood test to identify the condition. Instead, doctors recommend MRI, X-ray, and CT scan options.

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Also Read:

• What is Osteochondritis Dissecans of Knee Joint and How is it Treated?
• Osteochondritis or Osteochondritis Dissecans: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment