Clinical benefit of SPECT/CT for follow-up of surgical treatment of osteochondritis dissecans

We present the case of a 17-year-old ice-hockey player, who complained about persistent left medial knee pain having undergone a refixation of a grade III osteochondritis dissecans with biodegradable pins, a reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a medial meniscal repair 1 year previously. Sequential MRIs performed 8 and 12 months after surgery were inconclusive, and failed to show the insufficient integration of the osteochondral fragment. Combined single photon emission and conventional computerized tomography (SPECT/CT) clearly revealed the cause of the patient’s persistent knee problems—the osteochondral fragment had not integrated. SPECT/CT may hold great clinical value for symptomatic patients who have previously undergone treatment for osteochondral lesions, and it should be considered as alternative diagnostic imaging modality.