Osteochondritis dissecans following Perthes' disease.

Patients with Perthes' disease develop a lesion comparable to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). The frequency of this combination was about 6% of all Perthes' disease patients conservatively treated. In three out of 17 patients reported here, the lesion caused minor symptoms, but was associated with dislocation, loose bodies, and osteoarthritis. In one patient, a radiologically established OCD-like lesion healed spontaneously. Conservative treatment was sufficient for most patients. The number of patients with this lesion seems to be greater than had been assumed in previous reports in the literature.