A prospective clinical study used joint scintigraphy to investigate conservative treatment of juvenile osteo chondritis dissecans (JOCD) of the femoral condyle. The predictive value of scintigraphic evaluation and various parameters (age at onset, sex, location and size of lesion) were analyzed. Over a 10 year period, the senior author followed 92 knees in 76 patients, 60 of whom were male and 16 female (11 and 5 bilaterals, respectively). All patients were participants in athletics or exercise programs.

All patients had orthopaedic assessment, roentgen ographic studies (AP, lateral, and tunnel views), 99m- Technetium phosphate compound joint scintigraphy, and instruction in a symptom-free existence (with all athletic activity proscribed). Patients were reevaluated and scanned every 8 weeks. No casts or braces were used, although crutches were sometimes necessary to maintain symptom-free levels.

Based on specific indications for failure of conserva tive treatment, 50% of these patients failed and under went surgery. Of the 92 knees, 52 were successfully treated conservatively, while 40 failed. Average fol lowup was 4.2 years. Average age at onset was 12.5 years; the success group averaged 12.1 years and the failure group 13.0 years. The average lesion size was 363.2 mm², with 309.5 mm² in the success group and 436.0 mm² in the failure group. Parameters of location, sex, and scan classification were not statistically signif icant as predictive factors.