Published online May 26, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3623
Peer-review started: January 5, 2021
First decision: January 17, 2021
Revised: January 28, 2021
Accepted: March 3, 2021
Article in press: March 3, 2021
Published online: May 26, 2021
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a rare disease of unclear cause characterized by subchondral bone damage and overlying cartilage defects. The current report presents the results of subchondral bone as a novel target for implantation of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) in the treatment of OCD.
A 16-year-old patient diagnosed with OCD underwent subchondral bone implantation of PBSCs. Four months later, the patient's visual analog scale scores, Western Ontario and McMaster University osteoarthritis index, and whole-organ magnetic resonance imaging score improved significantly, and regeneration of cartilage and subchondral bone was observed on magnetic resonance imaging.
This is the first case of OCD treated with subchondral bone as an implantation target of PBSCs, which highlights the importance of subchondral bone for cartilage repair. This treatment could be a potential option for articular cartilage and subchondral bone recovery in OCD.
Core Tip: Osteochondritis dissecans is a relatively rare disease, and we used an unreported treatment that focused on subchondral bone as a novel target for implantation using peripheral blood stem cells. Magnetic resonance imaging at 4 mo postoperatively showed repair of both cartilage and subchondral bone, and the patient's knee function and pain improved.