My daughter’s elbow has been causing her a lot of pain and the doctor said that she has to have surgery to repair some damage, called osteochondral lesions. What type of surgery is this?

Only your doctor can tell you what type of surgery is being considered for your daughter, however, there are a few different types of treatments that are done through surgery.

Traditionally, most doctors who operate on this problem do what is called a debriding, or removing dead tissue. This clears the area and removes any loose bits that may be present. Another procedure is called a microfracture. To do this procedure, the doctor makes a small incision and uses a tiny drill to make several very small holes in the bone right next to the problem area. When the holes are drilled, the bone marrow seeps out and makes new tissue, healing the lesion.

Finally, another procedure, called osteochondral transplantation, involves removing a bit of tissue from the patient’s knee and implanting it into the elbow to heal the lesion. This particular procedure is looking very promising and seems to have a good long-term outcome.