Treatment Outcomes for Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee: A Cohort Study

An Ambidirectional Cohort Study on Treatment Strategies for Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee

This is a non-randomized, observational, ambidirectional cohort study. Approximately 254 participants with knee OCD will be recruited from Peking University Third Hospital, China, comprising a prospective cohort (n=177) and a retrospective cohort (n=77). The study aims to observe and compare the long-term outcomes among patients receiving different standard-of-care treatments. Treatment decisions (conservative management or specific surgical interventions) are made by clinicians and patients according to prevailing clinical guidelines and individual conditions, independent of this study.

Based on the treatment they receive in clinical practice, participants will be categorized into two main exposure groups: the conservative treatment group and the surgical treatment group. The surgical group will be further stratified into six subgroups according to the specific surgical technique employed. All participants will enter a follow-up phase lasting up to 24 months.

Assessments will include the Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) score (primary outcome), the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Form, pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale, VAS), Lysholm knee score, as well as the incidence of complications and Adverse Events (AEs)/Serious Adverse Events (SAEs). For patients undergoing surgery, these measurements will be conducted at the following time points: preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively at 7 days, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months. For patients under conservative management, follow-up assessments will be conducted at corresponding clinical time points.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of osteochondritis dissecans of the knee;
• No participation in any other clinical trial within the past 3 months;
• Voluntary participation, provision of signed informed consent, and ability to comply with the clinical follow-up schedule.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Regular use of sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, or other addictive substances;
• Presence of severe primary diseases in the cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, hepatic, renal, or hematopoietic systems, or psychiatric disorders;
• Inability or unwillingness to undergo prolonged and intensive postoperative rehabilitation;
• Females who are planning pregnancy within the next 12 months, or who are currently breastfeeding or pregnant;
• Individuals with specific beliefs or restrictions that preclude the use of medical devices derived from porcine sources (as some grafts/devices are porcine-derived);
• Contraindications to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination;
• Individuals with psychiatric disorders impairing decision-making capacity, or any other condition deemed by the investigator to make participation inadvisable.