OBJECTIVETo study clinical results of reduction and fixation under arthroscopy for the treatment of osteochondrotical lesion in the knee.

METHODSFrom December 2012 to December 2013, 4 patients with the knee joint osteochondritis lesion and free bone fragments were treated with arthroscopy to detect the stripped cartilage, and then the cartilages were reduced with small incision and fixed by cartilage nail. There were 3 males and 1 female, with age of 15, 15, 20 and 27 years old. The durations of the disease were 1 d, 5 d, 1 month and 1 year. All the patients had swelling and effusion in the knee joint, and the floating patellar test was positive. CT examination showed bone defects and loose bodies. The Lysholm, VAS, and Tegner scale were used to evaluate the knee joint functions before and after operation.

RESULTSAll the patients underwent successful surgery. Postoperative CT showed good location of the cartilage without loss of reduced bone and cartilage. All the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 10 to 13 months, with a mean of 12 months. In one patient, arthroscopy examination was conducted for a second time to examine the connection of the fracture part to the surrounding cartilage, and it showed that the internal fixator was not absorbed. The Lysholm, VAS and Tegner scale of all patients were better than those before operation.

CONCLUSIONTreatment of osteochondritis lesion with the fixation of absorbable cartilage nails may reconstruct the integrity of articular surface and recover the stability of joints, and it is an effective treatment method.