Abstract
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the humeral capitellum is most commonly seen in children who engage in overhead throwing sports, especially baseball. We report three cases of lateral-type of elbow OCD at the advanced stage treated with an osteochondral graft from the patello-femoral joint. The patients were 3 boys (all baseball players) with a mean age of 14 years (range, 13 to 15 yr). The mean follow-up period after surgery was 11.3 months. The average Japanese Orthopaedic Score (elbow) improved from 72.3 points (range, 70 to 75) to 96.3 points (range, 96 to 100) postoperatively. All 3 boys were able to return to baseball activity, including throwing. However, one patient who was found to have already developed osteoarthritis at surgery, and who resumed throwing activity early, had some difficulty with throwing. When treating elbow OCD, we think it is necessary to preserve the cartilage as far as possible, but in cases at the advanced stage when the cartilage cannot be retained, this method can be effective.
