Posterior Approach for the Treatment of an Osteochondral Defect on the Posterior Lateral Femoral Condyle

Ariel N Rodriguez; Lindsay C Roethke; Daniel J Liechti; Robert F LaPrade

doi:10.1016/j.eats.2021.11.008

Posterior Approach for the Treatment of an Osteochondral Defect on the Posterior Lateral Femoral Condyle

Arthrosc Tech. 2022 Feb 18;11(3):e403-e408. doi: 10.1016/j.eats.2021.11.008. eCollection 2022 Mar.

Authors

Ariel N Rodriguez^{1

2}, Lindsay C Roethke^{1

3}, Daniel J Liechti¹, Robert F LaPrade¹

Affiliations

¹ Twin Cities Orthopedics, Edina-Crosstown, Edina, Minnesota, U.S.A.
² Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
³ University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.

Abstract

Osteochondral defects of the knee often occur as a result of traumatic injury, repetitive microtrauma, or genetic predisposition. Smaller lesions can be treated nonoperatively in younger patient populations; however, large symptomatic lesions require surgical intervention using a fresh osteochondral allograft transplant. Although osteochondral defects classically appear on the lateral aspect of the medial femoral condyle, there have been cases in which the lesion is located on the posterior aspect of the lateral femoral condyle. To access these posteriorly located lesions, the surgeon must utilize a complex posterior approach in order to successfully manage these lesions. While care must be taken to protect the neurovascular bundle in this area, this technique allows for excellent exposure and optimal graft placement.