Bumps, Bruises, Strains and Fractures Archives

osteochondritis dessecans on my ankle talus

Hello,
A few months ago in january of 2002,I have been diagnosed with Osteochondritis Dessecans on the talus of my right ankle. In january 2002 I began a running program (the surface was a 5 mile concrete paveway that is a common place for runners and joggers, etc.) I was 21 and a half years old, about 30 pounds overweight, and I just decided that I wanted to get myself back in shape to eventually be a serious competitive athlete again (after 3 years of basically being sedetary.

(In highschool and my first year in college I was a competitive athlete in running and basketball, (however, the past three years, I stopped competing seriously due to personal difficulties in my life and just did jogging every now and then).

Exactly six years ago when I was 16, when I was competing in a basketball scrimmage, I slightly twisted my right ankle, but it was only very slight. I remember doing range of motion exercises with the ankle afterwards and there was just a weird feeling with it. Several months after that incident I was running on a concrete surface and kind of sprained my ankle due to stepping on an uneven surface, however, that sprain was also very slight and hardly noticeable to me.

Ever since then, in that ankle, I slowly began developing stiffness, creptitus (the sound of bones crackling) decreased range of motion, I could not plantar flex my right ankle as far as my normal ankle and also it would feel as if my ankle joint would click out of place at times and I would have to point my toes upward in order to click it back into place (the click could be felt and heard).

Those symptoms began after those first two minor ankle injuries when I was 16 (6 years ago)and have progressed and seemed to have worsened with every passing year. I was still always able to seriously compete in sports as a serious athlete afterwards, because even though I had those symptoms in my right ankle, there was never any pain.

Finally in January of 2002, after a few years of a basically sedetary lifestyle, I returned to running. Eventually during the workouts, after a few miles into the run, every now and then a sharp acute stabbing pain would happen in my right ankle (which was my chronic symptom ankle.) In addition, there was now a general instability with that ankle and I felt that I had to be careful and aware of my steps or else it felt as if it could possiblly give out too.

I stopped running and saw a doctor. Took X rays, was diagnosed with Osteochondritis dessecans on my ankle talus, where a portion of bone and cartilage the size of a quarter had basically died, due to a cut off blood supply to that area.) I was reffered to a sports medicine doctor, who prescribed an MRI. On seeing the MRI, the sports doctor said it looked good and there was no reason to go in and operate. Then he said to just stay off of it for a few months and hope that it heals.

I apologize for the length of this post. I just have been kind of in depair for the past 6 months, because I am still a young aspiring competitive athlete with many more goals to pursue aqnd fulfil. The research that I have done on Osteochondritis dessecans all seem to give it a hopeless outcome. I will be 22 in 2 months. And this disease has a much better outcome if the person is much, much younger such as prepubescent age, because the bones are still growing.

If any one has any information that could possiblly be helpful, I appreciate any help. Thanks :O) I

Osteochondritis dessecans on my ankle talus: Mismanagement of injury. Archive