[Etiology and pathogenesis of osteochondrosis dissecans of the knee joint].

We report a clinical examination series on 72 knees with osteochondritis dissecans. The O.D. very often affected men employed in construction. An illness on both knees was usually found in younger patients. In those cases the osteochondritis was more often located in an area of lighter bearing. In cases involving only one knee the illness was confined to the area of heavy bearing. In patients seeking therapy up to 10 years after initiation of symptoms we found 50% to have a corpus librum. This rate rises significantly after 10 years to over 90%. In 7 of 10 cases we found a hyperlipoproteinaemia.