Chondral and osteochondral fractures

The incidence of traumatic chondral and osteochondral fractures and their role in the development of joint degeneration are not fully elucidated. While assessing traumatic knee injuries, one important criterion for the diagnosis of chondral fractures is to remember the possibility of a chondral or osteochondral fracture. Symptoms in osteochondral fractures are more obvious and cause severe pain and difficulty in movement of knee with hemarthrosis. The presence of hemarthrosis facilitates the diagnosis of an osteochondral fracture. Chondral and osteochondral fractures may be associated with other intraarticular pathologies. There are two main mechanisms of these fractures, including a direct effect causing avulsion or impaction and, a more common mechanism, flexion-rotation force to the knee, which is also the mechanism for an acute patellar dislocation. It is known that arthroscopic treatment is the best method for the diagnosis and treatment of chondral and osteochondral fractures. In osteochondral lesions, the aim of treatment is to restore the congruity of articular surfaces. In agreement with literature data, our clinical experience favors internal fixation as the most effective method for the treatment of osteochondral fractures.