Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Lateral Process of Talus Involving the Subtalar Joint: An Unusual Case

J Foot Ankle Surg. 2021 May-Jun;60(3):630-633. doi: 10.1053/j.jfas.2020.08.034. Epub 2020 Oct 7.

Abstract

Osteochondritis dissecans is a fairly recognized entity affecting the talus dome but subtalar joint involvement is not that common. We report a case of a 34-year-old male with osteochondritis dissecans of lateral process talus which was missed on imaging studies and identified intraoperatively. The patient was treated with curettage of the subchondral cyst at talus, followed by bone grafting and fixation of the osteochondral lesion with a 4-mm partially threaded cancellous screw. At the 1-year follow-up evaluation, there were no signs of recurrence and the patient resumed his complete activities including sports. We believe that the threshold for diagnosing these lesions should be low in cases with nonspecific chronic ankle pain, and surgeons are encouraged to consider this diagnosis.

Keywords: OLT; osteocondritis; subtalar joint; talus.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Curettage
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Osteochondritis Dissecans* / diagnostic imaging
  • Osteochondritis Dissecans* / surgery
  • Osteochondritis* / surgery
  • Subtalar Joint* / diagnostic imaging
  • Subtalar Joint* / surgery
  • Talus* / diagnostic imaging
  • Talus* / surgery