Pathology

Osteochondrosis dissecans is divided into different stages. These stages are mainly used for diagnostic purposes and are proven by X-ray examinations. For example, if a patient expresses stress-related pain, the X-ray examination can determine whether osteochondrisos dissecans is in its early stages or whether the disease is already more advanced.

A total of three different stages of the disease are distinguished, which are typically passed through one after the other. However, a patient may find the first stage less severe and therefore consult a physician only in the second stage of Osteochondrosis dissecans. In this case the disease is diagnosed in stage 2, which does not mean that the first stage has not been completed.

Stage 1 is, however, referred to as the so-called slumbering stage, as it goes unnoticed by many patients. In this slumbering stage the disease starts gradually. In this first stage, an inflammatory process in the bone develops due to poor blood circulation.

This is when the bone cells are attacked. In medicine, this first stage of osteochondrosis dissecans is described as ossal demarcation (demarcation between destroyed inflamed bone and healthy bone). This stage can also be divided into 2 stages.

In this case, stage 1 is considered to be the beginning of the inflammatory process, with the bone still appearing normal on X-ray, and stage 2 of osteochondrosis dissecans is then the stage of visible osseous demarcation. Assuming a total of 3 stages, the slumbering stage is now followed by stage 2 of Osteochondrosis dissecans. In this stage 2, the x-ray clearly shows that the broken bone separates from the healthy bone and is no longer supplied with blood and is therefore no longer viable.

The cartilage layer can also be affected and may either be slightly swollen (edematous) or have damaged parts. In stage 3 of osteochondrosis dissecans, a hole is then seen in the area where the dead bone piece was located (so-called mouse bed or empty dissekat bed), the bone piece itself remains as a dead bone piece (so-called dissekat or articular mouse). Authors who assume 4 stages in osteochondrosis dissecans refer to this last stage as stage 4, the above-mentioned stage 2 is then regarded as stage 3.