Description

Young athletes with poor psychological responses to injury and recovery may be at risk for suboptimal rehabilitation and return to sports. The issues of psychological readiness and fear/anxiety of reinjury are well documented in the treatment of ACL injuries in young athletes. To the investigative team's knowledge, no studies have examined the psychological response and psychological readiness to return to sports in pediatric and adolescent patients undergoing treatment for osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the knee.

OCD is a focal, idiopathic alteration of subchondral bone with risk for instability and disruption of adjacent articular cartilage that may result in premature osteoarthritis. It generally affects a young population between 6 and 19 years of age, with highest prevalence between the ages of 12 and 19 years of age. This condition can be treated both conservatively and surgically depending on the age of the patient, size of the lesion, severity and instability of the bone & cartilage, and previous treatment. The unclear etiology of this condition, the delayed / prolonged pre-diagnosis symptoms, varied treatment options, and unpredictable healing timelines are all factors that families and patients find frustrating about this condition. The investigators of this study believe that this leads to higher than normal psychological stress at the time of diagnosis and throughout treatment of this condition.

Improved understanding of the psychological stress and readiness to return to sport in the treatment of knee OCD can help patients, their families, and clinicians alike. Awareness can help clinicians provide the appropriate outreach and counseling for patients at risk for increased psychological stress. Improved psychological states and readiness can improve both physical and mental well-being.