Humeral Capitellum Osteochondritis Dissecans eMedicine Sports

Description: Humeral capitellum osteochondritis dissecans occurs after the capitellum has ossified and is the result of "injury" to the subchondral bone. The initial histologic appearance is consistent with avascular necrosis. The avascular necrosis of subchondral bone leads to loss of support for adjacent cartilaginous structures. The natural history of some osteochondritis dissecans lesions is the separation of these structures from the capitellum leading to the development of an osteochondral fragment of articular cartilage on the underlying bone at the superficial surface of the diarthrodial joint.