When a patient presents with knee pain, swelling, locking, catching, popping, or giving way — or on examination shows tenderness, effusion, loss of motion, or crepitus — a structured imaging protocol is the recommended first step in evaluating for osteochondritis dissecans.
This protocol applies to patients presenting with knee symptoms or signs that may indicate an osteochondral lesion. Timely and appropriately sequenced radiographic evaluation helps establish the diagnosis and guides subsequent management decisions.
The initial evaluation includes plain x-ray imaging of the knee obtained in multiple views — the complete view selection, sequencing, and interpretation framework is detailed in the full protocol.
In a patient with knee symptoms (pain, swelling, locking, catching, popping, giving way) and/or signs (tenderness, effusion, loss of motion, crepitus), x-rays (including AP, lateral, sunrise/Merchant, and tunnel views) are an option.
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