Distal tibial osteochondral injury: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

The treatment of osteochondral injurie sof the ankle has been studied for at least four decades. Lesions affecting the cartilage of the tibial plafond are uncommon because of the biomechanical characteristics of the tibia. Ankle arthroscopic debridement of the injury, followed by microdrilling or microfractures of the subchondral bone arethe most used treatment procedures. Cystic osteochondral injuries show better clinical results when treated with bone grafting. This study reviewed the literature on treatment of osteochondral injuries. We report a case of a cystic osteochondral injury affecting the distal tibia that was treated using an innovative technique. The autologous bone graft was obtained from the adjacent metaphyseal region and implanted in a retrograde manner. The technique is a viable option to avoid extended osteotomies.