Arthroscopic treatment of osteochondritis dissecans.

Forty-nine knees with osteochondritis dissecans were evaluated and in many cases, treated by arthroscopic means. The lesions were classified as to location and degree of separation. Arthroscopic treatment involved drilling, pinning, reduction of fragments, removal and replacement of fragments, and bone grafting. Of the cases, 90% had healed in an average period of approximately five months. The mean follow-up was three years.