Bone impaction grafting of the lateral femoral condyle in a pediatric patient.

Avascular necrosis of the femoral condyle is an uncommon but serious sequela in patients who have received chemotherapy or corticosteroid treatment. The optimal treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral condyles in pediatric patients is not well established. Nonoperative management has had limited long-term success, and many of the surgical procedures available for adults, including core decompression, osteotomy, and femur resurfacing, are undesirable in skeletally immature patients with open physes.This article describes a case of a 7-year-old girl with acute lymphocytic leukemia who developed avascular necrosis of the lateral femoral condyle that was treated with bone impaction grafting. The patient experienced right knee pain and swelling shortly after the initiation of chemotherapy. The radiological studies obtained showed subchondral collapse of the lateral femoral condyle. After a course of nonoperative management failed to improve symptoms, she underwent bone impaction allografting of the lateral femoral condyle using a physis-sparing approach. More than 5 years postoperatively, she has achieved excellent clinical results. Postoperative imaging of the knee has also confirmed good integration of the bone graft, an open physis, and preservation of the articular surface. This technique is a relatively less invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral condyle in a pediatric patient.