An osteochondral lesion of the talus, often called an OCD lesion, is an injury to the cartilage and the bone under the cartilage of the talus (the bone below the ankle) within the ankle joint.

Signs and symptoms of an osteochondral lesion of the talus

The injury can occur after a patient sprains his or her ankle, but the injury is often missed. If a patient continues to have pain, a physician might order x-rays that show the lesion. Occasionally a CT scan or MRI can show the lesion as well.

Physical exam of the ankle to detect an osteochondral lesion of the talus

Treatment of an OCD lesion of the talus

Several factors influence the treatment of these lesions, including the size, location and whether the fragment is displaced. Sometimes the lesion can be treated nonoperatively with immobilization and limitation of weight bearing. If the fragment is displaced, surgery is usually required.

Depending on the nature of the lesion, the surgeon might scope the ankle and drill the lesion or perform a microfracture of it. In other cases, the surgeons might transfer a cylinder of bone and cartilage from the patient (osteochondral autograft) or from a donor (osteochondral allograft) might be needed.

Also read:
Ankle impingement: Signs, symptoms and treatment options
Ankle sprain: Mechanism of injury, diagnosis and treatment options

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