Question

It was only until recently that I noticed my finger joints are much larger than those of most people, and I had rarely paid attention to them before. Lately, I’ve occasionally felt that my finger joints and ankles are extremely swollen, accompanied by pain, and sometimes they are very stiff. I went to the hospital for a detailed examination and found out that I have osteochondrosis dissecans. I’ve also taken some medication for a few days, and the condition has slightly improved. I don’t know what impact this disease will have on my future life. What are the dangers of osteochondrosis dissecans?

Answer

Osteochondrosis dissecans is a localized bone disease primarily affecting children, characterized by the atrophy and degeneration of articular cartilage, epiphyseal cartilage, and epiphyseal plates, also known as popliteal disease. This disease mainly occurs in China’s long narrow cold regions from Northeast to Tibet. The cause of the disease is still not fully understood, but a significant negative correlation between selenium content in soil, grains, and human hair in the epidemic area has been found. Early symptoms include joint pain, usually occurring first in active finger joints and heavily loaded knees and ankles, where patients may feel swelling, pain, or “bone joint pain.” In addition, the fingertips may bend towards the palm of the hand.