What is a lesion on the talus?
An osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT) is an area of abnormal, damaged cartilage and bone on the top of the talus bone (the lower bone of the ankle joint). This condition is also known as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the talus or a talar osteochondral lesion (OCL).
What is a lesion on the ankle?
Overview. Osteochondral lesions or osteochondritis dessicans can occur in any joint, but are most common in the knee and ankle. Such lesions are a tear or fracture in the cartilage covering one of the bones in a joint. The cartilage can be torn, crushed or damaged and, in rare cases, a cyst can form in the cartilage.
Is osteochondral lesion serious?
In severe cases, as piece of cartilage may even break off but stay wedged in place. Also known as a talar dome lesion, this condition causes pain and swelling within the ankle, and left untreated, may lead to long-term damage to the bone.
How do you treat an osteochondral lesion?
The common treatment strategies of symptomatic osteochondral lesions include nonsurgical treatment, with rest, cast immobilisation and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Does an osteochondral lesion require surgery?
Surgical treatment is required if the symptoms persist. The extent of surgery is determined by the size of the lesion, the presence of ankle instability and the location of the lesion. Surgery most commonly involves an ankle arthroscopy. This is performed through two small incisions on the front of the ankle.
How long does it take for a talar dome lesion to heal?
Typically, patients are non-weightbearing for 1-2 weeks to permit the small incisions to fully heal, slowly increasing activities as tolerated for the next 4-6weeks, until a return to full activities can be accomplished.
What causes ankle lesions?
An osteochondral lesion of the talus occurs when an ankle sprain or injury damages the cartilage and the bottom bone of the ankle joint, known as the talus. Osteochondral lesions of the talus can be challenging to diagnose because they are often masked by swelling and inflammation from the original injury.
How long does it take to recover from osteochondral lesion?
The recovery period after an osteochondral lesion usually lasts six months to a year. Typically, you progress from range-of-motion exercises to light cardiovascular exercise and then strengthening exercises. If you experience episodes of minor swelling or pain while exercising, have your physician examine your ankle.
Can an osteochondral lesion heal?
Osteochondral defects of the ankle can either heal and remain asymptomatic or progress to deep ankle pain on weight bearing and formation of subchondral bone cysts.
What causes a talar dome lesion?
Talar dome lesions are usually caused by an injury, such as an ankle sprain. If the cartilage does not heal properly following the injury, it softens and begins to break off. Sometimes a broken piece of the damaged cartilage and bone will float in the ankle.
How is osteochondral lesion of the talus treated?
Today, most publications on treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus involve arthroscopic excision, curettage and bone marrow stimulation, ACI and OATS.
Is an osteochondral lesion a fracture?
Osteochondral lesions are injuries to the talus (the bottom bone of the ankle joint) that involve both the bone and the overlying cartilage. These injuries may also be called osteochondritis dessicans or osteochondral fractures.
Can osteochondral lesion heal without surgery?
In general, osteochondral lesions do not heal on their own. Treatment is usually determined by the stability of the lesion and the amount of pain that it causes you. For small cartilage lesions, especially in younger patients, doctors typically prescribe immobilization with a removable cast, called a cam walker.
Do talar dome lesions heal?
Most osteochondral talar defects are caused by trauma. They may heal and remain asymptomatic or progress to subchondral cysts with deep ankle pain on weight bearing.
What causes osteochondral lesions of the talus?
An osteochondral lesion of the talus is most often caused by direct trauma to the ankle, such as an ankle sprain or fracture. About 85% of these OCD lesion talus injuries are caused by a traumatic ankle injury. However, it may also develop as the result of too much repetitive motion in the ankle.