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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffTo make the diagnosis of osteochondritis dissecans, your doctor begins by taking a thorough medical history — asking about your symptoms, including pain, and whether you've had joint problems in the past.
Your doctor will ask about whether you've experienced an injury to the affected joint and when it occurred. In addition, your doctor will ask about your exercise routines, whether they involve any throwing movements (if the pain is in your elbow), and whether the discomfort has increased in recent weeks and months.
Then your doctor will likely conduct a physical examination, checking the stability of the joint and whether there is a clicking or locking when you move the joint.
Imaging tests
Your doctor may ask you to undergo one or more imaging procedures to help diagnose and determine the severity of the disorder. X-rays of your joint from various angles could show abnormalities in the surface of your joint. Your doctor may recommend that both joints be X-rayed (both the right and left knee, for example) to compare them.
Although the diagnosis can often be made with X-rays alone, X-rays cannot show breaks or cracks in the cartilage, nor the stability of the joint. Other imaging techniques may be used to analyze the cartilage and provide other information to help make the diagnosis:
- Computerized tomography (CT) provides computer-enhanced images of the joint structures. It can also detect any bone and cartilage fragments and pinpoint their location, including whether they have settled in the joint space.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnetic fields to create detailed pictures of your joint, which will provide information about its structure, the accumulation of fluid in the area and the visualization of loose fragments. Doctors frequently use MRI to help decide whether healing will occur with conservative treatment or whether surgery is necessary.
- Bone scans involve injecting dye into your bloodstream, and then taking images of your bones.
