Our teenage old son developed a problem in his left elbow called osteochondritis dissecans. After months of treatment that didn’t work, he finally had some bone plugs taken out of his knee and put into his elbow to help it heal. The elbow is fine but now the knee is a problem. How long is that going to take to heal?

One of the main disadvantages of the treatment your son had is the left over effects at the donor site for the graft. Plugs of bone and cartilage are taken from the least used weight-bearing surface of the knee. The cartilage is thicker there and holds up better over time.

The donor tunnels are slow to heal. First, the holes where the plugs are taken out heal over but the cylinder-shaped harvest sites remain empty.

Excessive bleeding from the donor tunnels can cause pain and swelling. Bone infection can also occur and must be watched for. Studies show that symptoms can persist for five weeks or more. Slowly, over time, complete healing does occur.