Bone peg fixation of a large chondral fragment in the weight-bearing portion of the lateral femoral condyle in an adolescent: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Chondral fracture of the knee is relatively rare and the optimal treatment option for this injury is still controversial. In this report, we present the case of a patient with this injury who was treated surgically using the bone peg fixation procedure. There has been no literature reporting the use of this technique for fixation of a detached chondral fragment. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 14-year-old Japanese boy who sustained a knee injury while kicking a soccer ball. Although routine radiographs showed no abnormality, magnetic resonance imaging showed a large full-thickness chondral defect in the weight-bearing portion of his lateral femoral condyle and a detached chondral fragment in the anterior region. The size of the defect (fragment) was 2cm by 1.5cm. At surgery, the chondral fragment was fixed with eight cortical bone pegs that were harvested from the anteromedial aspect of his tibia. CONCLUSIONS: The postoperative magnetic resonance imaging at 4 months and the second-look arthroscopy at 12 months revealed apparent healing of the fragment. In the final follow-up examination at 26 months, a physical examination showed no swelling with recovery of full range of motion, and he could play soccer at the pre-injury level with no complaint. Based on the clinical course of this patient, it is thought that bone peg fixation can be a valuable option for fixation of a large chondral fracture of the knee.