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Arthroscopic Treatment of Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Capitellum in an Early Adolescent Swimmer: A Case Report
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Arthroscopic Treatment of Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Capitellum in an Early Adolescent Swimmer: A Case Report

Kyle B. Christy, Zoe A. Tashjian, Brian R. Wolf and Robert Z. Tashjian
JSES reviews, reports, and techniques, 100760
04/15/2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.xrrt.2026.100760
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xrrt.2026.100760View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the capitellum affects mainly the adolescent overhead athlete, specifically baseball players and gymnasts, from the high amounts of axial loading and valgus stress placed onto the elbow. No prior reports of swimmers have been described with a symptomatic OCD of the capitellum. This case report presents the details of an early adolescent swimmer that failed nonoperative treatment ultimately undergoing an arthroscopic debridement and microfracture for OCD of the capitellum. An 11-year-old competitive swimmer presented into clinic with pain in her nondominant elbow that began suddenly 2 months prior. Imaging showed flattening of the capitellum, open physes, osteochondral lesion of the capitellum with an ∼8 mm unstable chondral flap on the more volar aspect of the capitellum, a small subchondral cyst in the central capitellum, and an intact lateral capitellar wall. The patient ultimately underwent elbow arthroscopic debridement and microfracture. The patient reported that her mechanical symptoms mostly resolved by approximately 4 months post-operatively which at that point she returned to swimming. At five and a half years post-operatively she continues swimming competitively with a goal of swimming in college. She was very satisfied with the procedure with a visual analogue scale pain score of 0 of 10, Mayo Elbow Performance Index score of 100, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score of 3.4 with a sports sub-score of 0, and a Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic Shoulder and Elbow score of 96.0. This case report describes an adolescent swimmer who underwent arthroscopic debridement and microfracture for symptomatic capitellar OCD, resulting in a significant improvement in pain relief and function, and a return to preinjury level sport. Awareness that swimming may result in OCD lesions of the capitellum and treatment with debridement can result in full return to sport will assist others in evaluating adolescent swimmers with elbow pain.
 capitellar osteochondritis dissecans Elbow arthroscopy microfracture osteochondral defect return to sport swimming

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