Osteochondritis Symptoms And Treatment

What Is Osteochondritis Dissecans? 

Osteochondritis is a medical condition which can cause rib pain. Is also known as osteochondritis dissecans.

While osteochondritis dissecans can affect the ribs, it can also strike any joint in the body. It is most likely to cause pain in the knee and other larger joints like the hip and ankle.

Those mostly to get osteochondritis dissecans include older children, teenagers and young adults, particularly those active in sports. In this sense, it is unlike many other conditions which cause joint pain (like arthritis) in older people.

What causes osteochondritis dissecans Pain from osteochondritis dissecans occurs in the area near the end of a bone. It would be likely to cause rib or ribcage pain in the areas where a rib or ribs connect either to the backbone (spine) or the sternum (breastbone).

The exact causes of osteochondritis dissecans are somewhat unclear, but it generally appears in one of three circumstances.

Injury or repetitive stress to a joint is the most likely cause. Since osteochondritis dissecans happens most often to younger people, it's often the result of a sports injury (like a blow to the chest or back during football). It may also occur from a blow to the ribs during a fall or accident (especially an auto accident) when a tiny fracture damages the overlying cartilage of a joint.

This doesn't necessarily happen from a single blow, however. Osteochondritis dissecans can occur over time due to small, repetitive, multiple blows that cause unrecognized damage.

If rib pain is the result of osteochondritis dissecans, there's a good chance it has happened due to participation in a contact sport.

Restricted blood supply is another cause of rib pain from osteochondritis dissecans. When the bone doesn't get enough blood, bone and cartilage can begin to break down and eventually die (a condition known as avascular necrosis).

Finally, heredity may play a role. Some people just seem to be genetically predisposed to develop osteochondritis dissecans.

Symptoms of osteochondritis dissecans Rib pain is the most common symptom of osteochondritis dissecans when the affected area is in the chest or back. Once again, the pain is likely to appear when the ribs meet the breastbone or the spine.

Physical activity may trigger the pain. When osteochondritis dissecans affects a rib joint, you may feel discomfort during the rapid, deep breathing that often accompanies sports activity.

When osteochondritis dissecans strikes other joints, you'll notice that the joint will seem to "stick" and you won't have full range of motion. It may also feel as if it's weakening.

There may also be swelling and tenderness over the affected area. When it happens in the front of your rib cage, it can be mistaken for chest pain similar to angina. When it appears in the back near the spine, it could be mistaken for a symptom of gallbladder problems.

Treatment of osteochondritis dissecans It's important to get an early diagnosis of osteochondritis dissecans because if left untreated, it can cause long-term disability.

The goal of treatment is to restore normal functioning of the joint and to eliminate pain. There are a number of treatment options, and success of each type of treatment varies from one individual to another.

Your doctor is likely to recommend one or more of the following.

Resting and avoiding activities that could aggravate the condition. Most of the time, this means refraining from sports activity or vigorous exercise until the condition improves.

Immobilizing the joint This one is tough to pull off if osteochondritis dissecans is causing rib pain. You have to breathe, right? But keeping any activities that require rapid, deep breathing to a minimum will help you recover faster.

NSAIDS, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications Aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium can provide pain relief. Brand name anti-inflammatories and pain relievers include Advil, Motrin, Aleve, and Naprosyn.

Physical therapy Stretching, strengthening and range-of-motion exercises can help restore joint health. Rely on the advice of your doctor or physical therapist where rib pain is concerned because exercises will vary somewhat from exercises for other joints.

In some cases, surgery may be an option if other measures don't relieve your rib pain from osteochondritis dissecans. Most doctors will treat osteochondritis dissecans non-surgically for about three months resorting to an operation.

With proper treatment, and a commitment to recovery, you can eventually relieve your rib pain and return to normal activities, including participation in sports.