Normal variant of femoral condyle ossifications occurs due to variability of endochondral ossification of articular cartilage and can be easily confused with osteochondritis dissecans.
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Epidemiology
more often in boys (mean age of ~8 years) than in girls 1
often bilateral 1,2
typically located at the posteroinferior aspect of the femoral condyle, much more commonly lateral than medial 1
Clinical presentation
mostly asymptomatic 2
sometimes knee pain without trauma 1
Radiographic features
Plain radiograph
irregular epiphyseal outline at the posteroinferior aspect of femoral condyle 2
radiolucent zones represented uncalcified cartilage 2
MRI
small accessory ossifications centers in the posteroinferior femoral condyle 1
spiculations 1
intact overlying cartilage 1,3
no adjacent bone marrow edema 1,3
Treatment and prognosis
The radiological changes were observed to decrease in size or resolve over a period of ~10 months (range 1-38 months) although a minority stayed the same size or rarely grew; symptoms also resolved in this time period 1,2.
Differential diagnosis
fracture