Retrograde Drilling With Tibial Autograft in Osteochondral Lesions of the Talar Dome

Abstract

Osteochondral lesions that compromise the ankle are rare, with an incidence between 0.02% and 1.5% according to different series. This location is the third in frequency, after knee and elbow. The location of the osteochondral lesion allows one to infer the producing mechanism. Lateral defects are produced by inversion and dorsiflexion of the ankle (usually anterior, affecting 3 and 6 talar zones), whereas medial defects are produced by plantar flexion, inversion, and internal rotation (most commonly posterior, affecting 4 and 7 talar zones). The injury causes pain associated with weight load, impaired function, limited range of motion, stiffness, blockage, and edema. Early diagnosis of an osteochondral lesion is particularly important because the lack of diagnosis can lead to the evolution of a small and stable lesion in a larger lesion or an unstable fragment, which can result in chronic pain, instability of the joint, and premature osteoarthritis. Multiple therapeutic strategies have been described, including conservative and surgical treatment. The purpose of this Technical Note is to describe arthroscopic-assisted retrograde drilling with tibial autograft procedure for osteochondral lesions of the talar dome.