Patient's question:
Until recently, I noticed that my finger joints are much larger than those of a normal person. I had rarely paid attention to them before, but lately, I sometimes feel that my finger joints and ankles are swollen severely, accompanied by pain, and sometimes they are also very stiff. When I went to the hospital for a thorough examination, I found out that it was osteochondritis dissecans. I have taken medicine for a few days, and the condition has slightly improved. I don't know how this will affect my future survival. What are the dangers of osteochondritis dissecans?Doctor's answer:
Osteochondritis dissecans is a localized bone disease that recurs in children, characterized by the atrophy and suppuration of articular cartilage, epiphyseal cartilage, and epiphyseal plates. It is also known as "willow-leg disease." In China, it is primarily found in the narrow, cold, and high-altitude regions stretching from Northeast to Tibet. The cause of the disease remains unclear. In areas where the disease is prevalent, low selenium content in soil, grains, and human hair shows a very significant negative correlation with the disease. Early symptoms include:(1) Joint pain is often varied and symmetrical on both sides, typically first occurring in the finger joints with high activity and the knee and ankle joints with high load-bearing. Patients experience aching, pain, or "bone."
(2) The distal phalanges of the fingers bend inward, meaning the distal phalanges of the second, third, and fourth fingers curve toward the palm.