This 12-year-old hockey player had suffered from pain in the right knee for four years. Her original defect had been diagnosed at the age of nine but unfortunately had not healed despite stopping running, jumping, contact sport and hockey for 18 months.
Her MRI scan showed a defect that was still in place with a cover over the bone (intact, chondral cap), but with a lot of fluid signal at the base which had not improved over two years.
It was therefore decided to perform an arthroscopic, keyhole, drilling to allow the bone marrow stem cells into the defect, so that healing could take place.
Front view, (coronal) MRI scan
Side view (sagittal), MRI scan
She was placed on crutches for six weeks after the procedure without a brace.
She began normal walking two months after the procedure with cycling and swimming.
There was then six months of strength and conditioning with physiotherapy and a follow-up scan at this stage showed 95% healing.
