# Anyone had osteochondritis dissecan knee surgery?



## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

After 3 weeks of pain, I finally made it to an ortho today who x-rayed and advised I clearly have osteochondritis dissecan in my left knee. Post surgery recovery time is rather ominous to me: best case is two months off the bike and worst case is six months.

Anyone else dealt with this in your knee before? If so, how was your recovery time?


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

No responses however that kind of falls in line with the rarity of the condition; 1 in 100,000. I'll keep this updated with my results in case anyone in the future should be looking for this info too.


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

Ok. Whew. Surgery was yesterday. I've been given Lortab 10 as the painkiller to use. It's a combo of 500mg acetaminophen and 10mg of hydrocodone. I'm apparently allergic to the painkiller so the experience has sucked a bit more than it should have.

My surgery turned out to be a rare form of surgical repair. The piece of cartilage that broke off my femur was 2.3 x2 cm in size and was reattached with one titanium screw and three dissolving pins. At some point in the last week, the piece of cartilage actually flipped upsides down in my knee so rather than being able to fix it via arthroscopy the doctor had to make a 2.5" incision. 

4 weeks on crutches and 2 months of light duty ahead which means no riding, but hopefully better pain meds in the immediate future is of my greatest concern.


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

To update the thread. Tomorrow makes 4 weeks since surgery. In my first follow up visit with the surgeon, my time on crutches was extended to 6 weeks. So as of tomorrow I should have 2 weeks left on crutches. My total recovery and rehab time is still a question mark so its getting harder to not be frustrated. I've not been on a bike since January 29th. The local weather is great for riding. I'm still on crutches. I've purposely stayed off the MTBR forums to help hold further "I miss riding" frustration at bay

I guess frustration is part of this whole process. Hopefully if anyone else is reading this because they are experiencing this condition too, my advice at this point is to do your assigned physical therapy and dig deep to find the patience necessary to endure your time on the bench.

I return to the doctor next Monday. Hopefully I'll get a better glimpse of when rehab and recovery will be done with. Maybe I'll be able to look at my bikes and look forward to my first ride back.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

Just noticed this thread (internet sucks in Afghanistan). I've treated some cases of OCD. The biggest surgical challenge is getting the cartilage/bone to heal to the femur. Cartilage itself doesn't have a good blood supply and relies on the joint fluid surrounding it for nutrition. Hopefully your fragment had a decent amount of bone attached to it to allow for bone-bone healing. It is a long recovery, but for the longevity of your knee it's worth it.
The good thing about knee surgery is that cycling is a main staple exercise for recovery... maybe not the mountain variety, but certainly trainer time and then road. Good luck!


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

Take the long view. You eventually will get back. Focus on how nice it will be when you're fully recovered, not on the time spent off the bike now.

And when you're cleared to start gaining your strength back, take it very easy at first. When you feel you're strong enough to up your workout, give it another two weeks before doing so. Avoid setbacks. Good luck.


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

Thanks for the encouragement! Even if my initial riding is restricted to road riding I've got a great road bike so it's something to look forward to.


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

Follow up: The Dr's appt went better than expected this past Monday. Everything appears to be healing well. I come off the crutches on April 23rd so I'm fairly stoked to finally be able to start learning to walk on two feet again. That will make right at 6 weeks since I've been able to put any weight on my left leg, so I expect to feel a bit like a toddler learning to walk for a few days. 

I'll be able to get on a stationary bike then as well, so I'm going to pull my old Specialized Allez Elite road frame out this weekend and begin to build up a dedicated stationary trainer bike. It will be the first bit of riding on any bicycle at all in 13 weeks. As meager as it may seem, I'm stoked to finally be getting on two wheels. It wont be long before the trainer turns into greenway rides, greenway rides turn into road rides, and road rides can take ya to trail heads! :thumbsup:


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

Spec7 said:


> Follow up: The Dr's appt went better than expected this past Monday. Everything appears to be healing well. I come off the crutches on April 23rd so I'm fairly stoked to finally be able to start learning to walk on two feet again. That will make right at 6 weeks since I've been able to put any weight on my left leg, so I expect to feel a bit like a toddler learning to walk for a few days.
> 
> I'll be able to get on a stationary bike then as well, so I'm going to pull my old Specialized Allez Elite road frame out this weekend and begin to build up a dedicated stationary trainer bike. It will be the first bit of riding on any bicycle at all in 13 weeks. As meager as it may seem, I'm stoked to finally be getting on two wheels. It wont be long before the trainer turns into greenway rides, greenway rides turn into road rides, and road rides can take ya to trail heads! :thumbsup:


Nothing like having an injury and surgery and being off your bike AND on crutches to help one appreciate the little things. Like walking. Like taking a ride on your bike as needed. Ya know, the little things. Everytime I got messed up, after I'd healed I'd say something like "man, it sure is nice to be able to put on a tee shirt with both my arms helping" or "it sure is nice to be able to sleep on my left side again after a year" and "I know I've learned to write with my left hand but it sure is nice to write with my right hand if I want to".


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## jbourne84 (Apr 8, 2010)

sounds incredibly tough, glad to hear recovery is going well though. I deal with daily knee pain, and though ive been told its just a matter of regular strengthening exercises, i still dread the day something more serious has to be done. Its good to hear a smooth recovery story. Building up the old frame for a trainer is a great idea for the rehab and I can only imagine how nice it must be to have a bike related project to play with to ease the biking itch during the whole process.

Good luck and keep the updates coming!


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

I'm not totally free of crutches at this point, but I am down to one crutch which is making life much easier. It's amazing how much we tend to take simple things like walking for granted. Trainer time is still on hold until the doctor releases me. Due to the large size of the repair, my recovery time is on an extended schedule per the doctor's orders. It's not what I had hoped for, but he's the expert and if it means not having to endure this again I'm going to gladly follow his directions.

One thing I've benefited from is the leg strengthening exercises I've been doing. I've always had issues with iliotibial band syndrome and in the first few weeks of being on crutches both hips were really hurting along with my good knee hurting as well. After several weeks of hip flexor strengthening exercises, my hips are feeling better than they ever have and my right knee is not hurting as well. My PT is advising that the strengthening of the hip flexors may reduce the issues from IT band syndrome and so far that seems to be the case. It's still slow going, but the future is looking better!


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

Mini update:
Healing seems to be progressing faster than expected. I've been off crutches or use of a cane for almost 3 weeks now. I'm wearing a knee brace called a "Fusion" which is made by Breg. It's lots of Velcro, custom molded metal bracing, and padding. I can't help but feel like I'm wearing something that Robo-Cop or the Terminator would have had for a knee brace.
My wife and I have gone for short walks every night this week averaging around a mile, but last night got froggy and pushed to do three miles. All was fine, but there is some muscle soreness this morning. I return to the doctor on Monday for my next X-ray and follow up. My PT advised that my recovery schedule may get shortened due to how well the healing has progressed so maybe just maybe I'll be back on the trails sooner than expected!

If not, that's fine as well. I've learned to abide my time in the last four months that I've been sidelined. If I need to wait a while longer to avoid going through this again; I'll gladly wait.:thumbsup:


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

My follow up with doctor turned out to be much better than expected. The bone is nearly 100% healed. The doctor advised that he's never seen bone regrowth this quickly. I'm still waiting a month to get back on the bike, but I wont be restricted to the road bike when I return. The last time I was on my mountain bike was January 29th and I plan my first ride to be on July 4th, so roughly 5 months out of the saddle. 

I'm counting down the days and its getting tough to wait!


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## OCDknee (Jun 14, 2013)

Hey there, Spec7. I don't really know anything about biking, but I found your posts by googling osteochondritis knee surgery so I made an account on here to respond to you. I also have osteochondritis dissecans, and I had surgery on May 1st. 

Mine was a little different. My chunk of cartilage and bone that were damaged were about 1cm, and they were hanging on a little and hadn't completely fallen off like yours. My surgeon took all of the dead bone out, then drilled to the marrow and put a cadaver bone plug in with synthetic cartilage. It was far enough back on a non-weight bearing (when my leg is straight) portion of my femur that I can walk on it with a full straight leg brace, but I was still on crutches for the first 2 weeks. 

I've been trying to find other people who have had surgery for OCD because it is an incredibly frustrating process, and I feel like you probably get it more than anyone around me right now! I'm trying to have a good attitude, but it's difficult at times. I am sick of sitting around and want to get back to my daily activities! I agree that it makes me appreciate little things, like going for walks and how easy it used to be to shower compared to now. 

I began walking without the brace this week (still with my leg straight), and in two weeks I can try to begin to walk more "normally" because the bone should be mostly healed at that point (it'll be 2 months post-op then). I know our surgeries were a little different, but I wanted to post to say I get what you're going through. I'll be following your posts and progress. I'm glad to hear things are going well! I hope you continue to heal quickly


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

Everything for me is going well at this point. I'll be released to start mountain biking in less than two weeks and as far as I can tell there should be no issues other than regaining muscle strength and memory.

I think the hardest part of the entire surgery process is not the physical healing as much as it is the mental side of things. Throw your daily routine and rhythm out the window, learn to make yourself think in a different manner to accommodate your physical inability, know that things you did in the past will not be possible for weeks or months to come. I can handle the pain much more easily. Now when people mention my other knee and what if the same thing happens; the terror of the thought is not of the surgery, but rather the mental mountain that would have be summited again.

I guess my advice for anyone else dealing with osteochondritis dissecans is to follow your doctors advice exactly and faithfully, know that your biggest hurdle will be the recovery process and the mental anguish that accompanies it, and know that it will get better. You may encounter a few set backs. Remember that by starting the treatment process with that first visit to the doctor, you are now on the track returning to when your life was normal and pain free.

As for me, my return to the saddle will be marked by a camping trip to Damascus, VA to ride the Virginia Creeper rail trail on single speed. Sure it's easy riding, but six months out of the saddle combined with muscular atrophy may make it a challenge. Challenge or not, I'm looking forward to it!!!!


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## OCDknee (Jun 14, 2013)

I'm glad to hear that everything is going well for you! That's awesome that you can begin mountain biking in 2 weeks! That gives me hope that things will eventually get back to normal haha.

I definitely agree with the mental part being more difficult than the physical pain, although the pain just makes me more stressed out. Right now my right knee (non-surgery leg) and right hip are killing me (the knee way more so than the hip). It makes it difficult to do much since I can't use the left leg too well right now. I saw that you had some opposite hip and knee pain as well. Any ideas on how to help with that?

I keep icing both, taking ibuprofen, and babying the right side. I don't start official PT until August, but I'm doing the home exercises, although they didn't give me any for my non-surgery leg so I've just been doing the same on both sides to see if that helps. I basically can't do stairs at all because the right knee pain is too bad. It's driving me nuts.

It's good to know that it will all get better, and it is encouraging to think that we'll be normal and hopefully pain free after all of this. I'm worried about going through this again, too, for the mental side of things. Hopefully neither of us have to! Have fun on your camping trip, and good luck with your first ride!

Also, if you get bored ever, I started a blog about my experience with the surgery and healing. OT With a Bad Knee I figure I can post it here in case anyone reading the thread has to get surgery to help them know what to expect based on what we've gone through. Every time I tried to find things online about OCD surgery, I could only find a lot about torn ACLs and meniscuses, and a lot less about OCD. Anyway, good luck to you!


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

OCD, you mentioned exercises for your good leg; my Dr advised me to do the same exercises on my good leg that I was doing for the repaired leg. That's what helped me. My exercises were straight leg raises and hip flexor lifts (sideways straight leg lifts). Both eventually included varying weights of ankle weights to help with muscle regrowth.

You may also want to check with your Dr about the usage of ibuprofen unless they prescribed it. When I asked about using ibuprofen I was strongly cautioned against it due to concerns that it may inhibit bone growth. I have terrible sinus issues and with them comes sinus headaches which is caused by the swelling of the sinus cavities. Ibuprofen was always my go to med for the sinus headaches. No usage of ibuprofen for 5 months has made dealing with sinus issues interesting, but the fact that the bone has 100% healed makes the sinus issues a blip on the radar.

Rest, ice, and elevation will continue to be your best allies through the first three months or so post surgery.


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## OCDknee (Jun 14, 2013)

Thanks for the advice! I have been taking a lot of ibuprofen because I didn't like the stronger pain meds, but I'll definitely call my doctor and ask if I should stop taking it. Did your doctor recommend anything else, or have you just been dealing with the pain with ice/rest/elevation? My swelling is mostly gone, it's just too sore to sleep sometimes now that I've started walking on it without the brace. I haven't had any x-rays yet, so I'm not sure if it's healing properly, but yours healed quickly! I'd definitely rather just deal with the pain if pain meds inhibit bone growth.

Thanks for the advice about the exercises. I've been doing the straight leg lifts, quad presses (just contracting and relaxing my quad muscle when my leg is straight), and ankle pumps for my calf muscles. I'll ask if I can add in the hip flexor lifts, too.


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

Another tidbit of advice: No matter how great you may be feeling, don't be overly zealous while doing your assigned home physical therapy. 

I did a heel slide way too fast and way too strong about a week ago. Last Saturday I was forced to use a crutch to just be able to move around inside the house. Headed to the doctor in 1.5 hours to see if I've done any damage....


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## OCDknee (Jun 14, 2013)

Oh no! Good luck!! Hopefully it won't cause any setbacks. That's good to know to not push it too much. I called my doctor about the ibuprofen and they said to taper off of it, and if I needed to take anything that acetaminophen (Tylenol) should be okay as far as bone health goes.


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

Small follow up about my last setback. It turned out to be that I had simply popped some scar tissue left over from the surgery. The doctor said this was normal and that I may happen again. I think I made the scar tissue pop before it was ready to release, but the swelling and pain went away a few days later.

My trip to ride the Virginia Creeper did not occur. The weekend set aside to go ride it turned out to be one of the many weekends where much of the eastern US was covered in rain and flooding. I did finally get to ride some local trails this past Tuesday. I thought I'd only get in 5 or 6 miles before the knee was out of steam. Nope, I got in about 15 miles and only stopped because it was getting dark. The knee was great and it seemed as if my riding muscles simply put themselves on pause from the surgery until now. Muscle memory is amazing!


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

My final post (hopefully) in this thread. Improvement continues to occur. I'm riding stronger almost every time I ride now. The doctor totally released me to resume all pre-surgery activities and advised he had never seen bone regrow/ heal this fast in all his years of practice.

I'm super thankful for the circumstances I've been dealt even though it had me off the bike for about 6 months. Being able to ride again is one of the coolest gifts I've received in years!


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

2 years post knee surgery now. I'm 95% back to where I was before the knee issues popped up. The only lingering issue from the knee surgery is the 30lbs I gained in my 4 months off the bike.

Missing riding right now, but its due to weather over the last 6 weeks, If it will ever stop raining and snowing, I might get to ride again!


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## kitkat_766 (May 3, 2015)

*OCD Left Knee *

Hi, its great to find another thread about OCD where they have used dissolving nails. I'm only 17, and have been suffering with OCD for ~5 years but recently it has become much worst including major locking issues. I was told last week that I would need surgery because the bone had become a flap that was causing the knee to lock and they proposed surgery in the next few weeks with a 10cm cut and pinning the bond fragment using dissolving nails.

I'm part of a HPV vehicle team (a reclined bike within a shell) and thats how I found this forum.. do you have any tips about preparing mentally for surgery and recovery and any tips for ways to stay strong. I also an a national level javelin thrower.. which complicates things further 

Thanks for your thread, it has been really helpful!! Kat


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

I would say that if you can convince yourself into knowing that the time on the couch will only be a grain in the sand of life, you will possibly be better prepared mentally. It's no stroll through the park if you go from a very active lifestyle to suddenly sidelined with no quick way back into the game. At your age, you should have a shorter recovery time than I had. I was 38 when I had the knee surgery, so youth is certainly to your advantage. Be sure to have plenty of things to keep yourself occupied while you're recovering. Boredom and yearning to be outside were the hardest things for me to cope with. Stay focused on the fact that you are in recovery which means you're past the worst part and life will be back to normal soon with less restrictions than before your knee was fixed.


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## kitkat_766 (May 3, 2015)

Thanks again for this forum, I'm now almost 2 weeks post op and the surgery went really well! They did an arthroscope first which confirmed a non-displaced but highly unstable lesion on the medial femoral condyle, they then opened the knee up and drilled 5 'smart nails' into the lesion, that will dissolve and be absorbed over time. Although it is tough just sitting around doing nothing, I have the amazing support of friends, family and coaches which makes it so much easier! I have another 4 weeks on crutches, non weight baring before I am finally allowed to walk again.... Thanks again for the forum and the advice from pre-op! Thanks


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## Taytayk44 (Dec 24, 2015)

Hey kitkat I'm 18 I have the same problem as you had almost exactly and today is the first day I can bend my knee.. I was bending it and I had the same sharp pain I felt before my surgery I was wondering how your knee felt when you bent it


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## jason s (Feb 14, 2016)

came across ur ocd knee post and am kinda looking for some questions if u don't mind.
i just had surgery on my knee for ocd mine is 2.9cm by 1.8cm
the doctor made the same cuts to my knee 2 small ones and one big one half way down my knee its like 2inches long.
i was put in a zimmerman leg cast its been 6 weeks I'm not allowed to put any weight on it for 8 weeks and i am only aloud to do little 30 degree bend exersises i can't bend it more then that it feels locked....is this normal...im scared i have developed arthrofibrosis in my knee from the scar tissue...i haven't had any therapy since the surgery and won't know anything for 2 more weeks and i was wondering if u was able to bend ur knee after u got ur leg brace off. (what was your ROM in first PT visit)
how much range of motion did u have?
im 31 years old and this is freaking me out
i don't know what to expect and thought i would ask u as you have been threw this.

thanks for taking the time to read this 
any info helps. thanks


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## kitkat_766 (May 3, 2015)

*HELP! Failed Biodegradable Pins (TWICE!!)*

I'm an 18 year old athlete who competes at a high level in both Javelin (Track & Field) and Basketball and I also ride with friends for fun. I was diagnosed in 2009 (age 11) with OCD in my left knee (medial femoral condyle) after years of pain and following a bad soccer fall. Scans showed a lesion 2cm x 2cm, and after consulting with a specialist surgeon, the treatment was 12 months of no physical activity or impact. There's not a lot of information out there about OCD and hopefully someone can help me, or I can answer others questions. I have posted in this forum before but this is an overview of my story.

*Question: *Has anyone else had or heard of biodegradable pins failing? Not once, BUT TWICE!! My pins have become loose almost 12 months after surgery and locked my knee up again!

*My Story*
Pain was inconsistent for the following years with multiple trips back to my surgeon for further scans, until it became agonizingly painful at the beginning of 2015 with my knee locking up. It got to the point where I couldn't concentrate during my final year of school and my grades began to drop, so I went back to my surgeon and scans showed that the lesion had become worse and has turned into a flap of bone, causing my knee to lock.

I underwent surgery in May 2015, with 5 biodegradable pins put in to reattach the fragment. I was on crutches for nearly 3 months, and was unable to do any impact sport (running) until 6 1/2 months post op. All was going well, and it seemed that I was healing faster than expected throughout all further appointments with my surgeon and so no further scan was required.
Feb 2015 I qualified for my first national team that will compete at the World U20 Athletics Championships later this year. 2 week after I qualified I was simply walking and felt an agonising pain in my knee again, with a horrible grinding sensation and eventually my knee locked again only a few hours later. I had scans (MRI) the following day which revealed that 2 of the 5 pins had failed, 1 was completed loose in my knee and had actually bent, and the other was just sticking out of the bone. I was booked in for surgery on March 2nd 2016 to simply pull the pins out.

Since surgery to remove the pins my knee has never really come good and was continually swollen. I'm now 2 1/2 months post arthroscopic surgery and pain is inconsistent, one minute it is completely fine and the next I'm in agony and cant weight bare. I had scans a few days ago, and to everyone's amazement, another pin has come loose and is causing inflammation and the joint to grab (not quite lock but feeling like it might).

I'm just wondering whether or not anyone else has biodegradable pins fail? My surgeon has only ever seen or heard of it happening 1 before, so it seems pretty rare. He mentioned that pulling all the pins out would be an option but when I asked how he would do it, he simply said "with difficultly" and sounded like he didn't know how he was going to get them out.

Sorry for the really long post! I just really want answers!


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## Seeley1252 (Jul 6, 2017)

So reading this forum has given me some positive hope. I'm 23 and I also have OCD and was given surgery this past Friday, surgery was a bit more complicated than thought. In addition to OCD I also had a torn meniscus. They cut out the part of torn meniscus and used 5 surgical screws to reattach the loose bone, I am in a straight leg brace for a t least 2 weeks and am pretty much in bed all day every day. I'm also being told I will not be able to walk on it for at least 8 weeks. I hope all recovers well by October of this year as I need to prepare for the start of police academy in January.


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## Seeley1252 (Jul 6, 2017)

had my 2 weeks follow up with the doctor, official count was 4 darts and 4 screws are in my knee and the knee should absorb them within 1-2 years, I am in my straight leg brace still but can unlock it to bend up to 60 degrees when seated, next appointment in 4 weeks hoping it's clear to begin walking again and starting PT!


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## habby (Aug 10, 2017)

I am also just a casual rider - found this thread online while googling "osteochondritis knee surgery recovery" and saw this useful discussion. decided to register and post about my experience

I am 25 years old - a skateboarder for over 15 years, runner, hiker, and other sports. A few months ago I was having knee problems with my left knee and was diagnosed with OCD and had a pretty large piece of cartilage break off in my knee. 

Fast forward to 6 weeks ago - I had surgery and had a cadaver's cartilage put in to replace my missing piece. I just recently got the okay to full weight bear, ditch the crutches, and start walking. Coming from a very active lifestyle(just like everyone else in this thread) that month and a half was one of the most trying things I have been through in the past couple of years(both mentally and physically). I have been trying my best to stay positive and thinking about getting back to a normal active life.

I have been taking Glucosamine Chondroitin, Fish Oil, and a standard men's multivitamin for the past two months in hopes of it helping out with my healing. I'm also probably going to switch to a more paleo-friendly diet in order to help reduce the inflammation. Anyone else tried taking any supplements or altered their diets at all in order to help/speed up the recovery process?


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

It's been a while since I read this and updated. I hope all who have endured the Osteochondritis Dissecans situation have enjoyed speedy recoveries and returned to their active lives. 
To Habby: Not sure about the glucosamine chondroitin, but it sounds like a good idea. I didn't take any supplements like that, but again my cartilage reattached faster than anticipated. The surgery and healing process is definitely as much of a psychological challenge as it is physical. 
Keep up the positive outlook and know that it will improve. I'm 4.5 years post surgery now and all is well. My surgeon advised to never do more than a half marathon in a day, but I recently completed a 17 mile day hike through Rocky Mountain National Park with zero issues. I'm also getting 40 to 50 miles per week on the bike with no issue other than weather and time constraints.


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## Seeley1252 (Jul 6, 2017)

Habby: wow I had surgery 6 weeks ago also except my issue doesn't seem as extreme as yours and I was told by the doc today to stay on the crutches I take off the cast to practice doing leg lifts, and slowly putting partial weight on my left knee, I start physical therapy in 2 weeks


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## habby (Aug 10, 2017)

Spec7 said:


> It's been a while since I read this and updated. I hope all who have endured the Osteochondritis Dissecans situation have enjoyed speedy recoveries and returned to their active lives.
> To Habby: Not sure about the glucosamine chondroitin, but it sounds like a good idea. I didn't take any supplements like that, but again my cartilage reattached faster than anticipated. The surgery and healing process is definitely as much of a psychological challenge as it is physical.
> Keep up the positive outlook and know that it will improve. I'm 4.5 years post surgery now and all is well. My surgeon advised to never do more than a half marathon in a day, but I recently completed a 17 mile day hike through Rocky Mountain National Park with zero issues. I'm also getting 40 to 50 miles per week on the bike with no issue other than weather and time constraints.


Thanks Spec for the response. Definitely comforting to hear someone that has gone through the same thing and is now back to their normal active lifestyle. I will post an update on my recovery again soon!

To Seeley: Hmmm, interesting that we have different rehabilitation processes. I just read your post - I did not have a torn meniscus as well as OCD, just the OCD cartilage replacement with a cadaver plug so maybe that is where the difference is? I know I only had one small screw put into the plug. Wish you a healthy and speedy recovery :thumbsup:


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## Seeley1252 (Jul 6, 2017)

habby said:


> Thanks Spec for the response. Definitely comforting to hear someone that has gone through the same thing and is now back to their normal active lifestyle. I will post an update on my recovery again soon!
> 
> To Seeley: Hmmm, interesting that we have different rehabilitation processes. I just read your post - I did not have a torn meniscus as well as OCD, just the OCD cartilage replacement with a cadaver plug so maybe that is where the difference is? I know I only had one small screw put into the plug. Wish you a healthy and speedy recovery :thumbsup:


Habby I would like to talk to you more email me [email protected]


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## Thollins (Sep 9, 2017)

*Question*



Spec7 said:


> Ok. Whew. Surgery was yesterday. I've been given Lortab 10 as the painkiller to use. It's a combo of 500mg acetaminophen and 10mg of hydrocodone. I'm apparently allergic to the painkiller so the experience has sucked a bit more than it should have.
> 
> My surgery turned out to be a rare form of surgical repair. The piece of cartilage that broke off my femur was 2.3 x2 cm in size and was reattached with one titanium screw and three dissolving pins. At some point in the last week, the piece of cartilage actually flipped upsides down in my knee so rather than being able to fix it via arthroscopy the doctor had to make a 2.5" incision.
> 
> 4 weeks on crutches and 2 months of light duty ahead which means no riding, but hopefully better pain meds in the immediate future is of my greatest concern.


Just saw this. My son just had this done today. In a lot of pain. How was day 2, 3 and so on pain wise for you?


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## Seeley1252 (Jul 6, 2017)

Thollins said:


> Just saw this. My son just had this done today. In a lot of pain. How was day 2, 3 and so on pain wise for you?


First 2-3 days were very painful especially first 24 hours I sometimes wanted to scream out in pain I was on 2 different pain meds, after a week I was off the pain meds completely


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## Thollins (Sep 9, 2017)

Seeley1252 said:


> First 2-3 days were very painful especially first 24 hours I sometimes wanted to scream out in pain I was on 2 different pain meds, after a week I was off the pain meds completely


Thank you so much. Well he's right where you were. He's 15 and it's hard to watch. Good to know by Monday he should be feeling a little better. They nurse kept saying only give the meds if he needs them. I think we will stick to every 4 hours. Thanks again.


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## gelly (Dec 16, 2018)

So happy to have found this! I'm looking all over for information on post-op and it seemed like no one has ever had this surgery so I was getting pretty nervous. Thanks @spec7 for starting this thread. I'm 23 and having my surgery in 2 days and I'm terrified which I guess makes sense. My biggest fear is this- my pain wasn't that strong. It would come every now and then and I would decribe it as more like discomfort. However, after my MRI and going to 3 different docs, they all said I need the surgery. Should I be concerned tha my pain doesn't warrant surgery or is this a condition that will worsen and better if taken care of even if pain is not considered stong?


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

gelly said:


> So happy to have found this! I'm looking all over for information on post-op and it seemed like no one has ever had this surgery so I was getting pretty nervous. Thanks @spec7 for starting this thread. I'm 23 and having my surgery in 2 days and I'm terrified which I guess makes sense. My biggest fear is this- my pain wasn't that strong. It would come every now and then and I would decribe it as more like discomfort. However, after my MRI and going to 3 different docs, they all said I need the surgery. Should I be concerned tha my pain doesn't warrant surgery or is this a condition that will worsen and better if taken care of even if pain is not considered stong?


It humbles me to see how many responses this thread has generated. When I started it, I could hardly find any info on OCD and the recovery period. The only info I recall finding was of 13 to 15 year olds who were injured while playing soccer. Mountain bikers and osteochondritis dissecans simply wasn't a thing on the internet that I could find.

Regarding the pain, in my case I had no idea that the pain I was having would require surgery. I was still riding my bike and getting in some time on the elliptical trainer each week. After the MRI, the doctor told me that he didn't know how I had been doing all those activities much less how I had made it to his office without a wheelchair. The bone chip that had to be bolted back on my femur was big enough that it had the potential to flip and lock my knee in place. I'm glad I had the surgery since there was no way that it could heal without doing so. Other than the suggestions I've provided before, another big suggestion is to make sure that you have a solid support system of people including a way of getting around post-op.

Good luck, follow your doctor's advice, and be careful mixing the adult holiday drinks with the pain meds!!


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## gelly (Dec 16, 2018)

Spec7 said:


> It humbles me to see how many responses this thread has generated. When I started it, I could hardly find any info on OCD and the recovery period. The only info I recall finding was of 13 to 15 year olds who were injured while playing soccer. Mountain bikers and osteochondritis dissecans simply wasn't a thing on the internet that I could find.
> 
> Regarding the pain, in my case I had no idea that the pain I was having would require surgery. I was still riding my bike and getting in some time on the elliptical trainer each week. After the MRI, the doctor told me that he didn't know how I had been doing all those activities much less how I had made it to his office without a wheelchair. The bone chip that had to be bolted back on my femur was big enough that it had the potential to flip and lock my knee in place. I'm glad I had the surgery since there was no way that it could heal without doing so. Other than the suggestions I've provided before, another big suggestion is to make sure that you have a solid support system of people including a way of getting around post-op.
> 
> Good luck, follow your doctor's advice, and be careful mixing the adult holiday drinks with the pain meds!!


Ya, it's like the little corner of the internet for people with the other type of OCD that 99% haven't heard of. I'm glad to know your pain wasn't unbearable and still constituted surgery. And thanks for the advice! I have assembled my army of helpers who will fetch me burgers and adjust my netflix shows as needed  Will update the forum God willing post-op to add more insight for the next OCD-patient who comes along.


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## bizango (Mar 20, 2016)

I didn't have the same condition (both my knees had sizeable lesions in the trochlea), but I was faced with the same dilemma. I was doing most everything I had always done with some minimal pain, but I could tell something wasn't right and so I had it looked at before things got real bad. Well, it was pretty bad, but could have been worse. If I continued to do what I do I'd be looking at a partial knee replacement. I opted for surgery to graft the cartilage while most of the joint is still quite healthy with the goal of getting back to near 100%...I have a lot of riding left to do! It was scary going into it and it's a long road to go down, but I always tell people it's an investment for the future. If I had put it off I think I would have felt like I was in purgatory with the inevitable always hanging over my head. I don't like living that way.

Good luck on your surgery. Be patient. Hopefully you will get back to where you want to be.


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## gelly (Dec 16, 2018)

I just had the surgery and so happy I did. I only had to get the nails because the cartilage was only starting to crack so the doc was able to save it. I agree and would reccomend anyone who has discomfort long term should take care of it even if it’s “not so bad” because that pain will definitely get worse.


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

gelly said:


> I just had the surgery and so happy I did. I only had to get the nails because the cartilage was only starting to crack so the doc was able to save it. I agree and would reccomend anyone who has discomfort long term should take care of it even if it's "not so bad" because that pain will definitely get worse.


Awesome! With what sounds to be minimal damage, hopefully that means you'll be in full recovery and back to normal life much faster than most. Best wishes on the path to recovery however long it may be!


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## gelly (Dec 16, 2018)

Spec7 said:


> Awesome! With what sounds to be minimal damage, hopefully, that means you'll be in full recovery and back to normal life much faster than most. Best wishes on the path to recovery however long it may be!


yes, I am so relieved. Doc told me the screws are a longer recovery but a much better healing rate. So I hope my post up here will help other people in the future. Will update in a couple weeks! Thanks again for starting this feed!


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## bizango (Mar 20, 2016)

Glad to hear that things went well and that it sounds like you will see a full recovery. It is good you got in there when you did. Riding will seem even sweeter when you get back to it!


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## tyreguy707 (Jan 31, 2020)

Hey guys,

Similar recovering OCD surgery-goer here, was also baffled as to how little information there is online about it, this forum seems to be the only place with people openly speaking about it! Stoked to see lots of people having good recoveries from this.

Had my 13x25mm fragment reattached in Nov 2019, has been a pretty drawn out recovery process due to covid gym closures & have essentially been doing home work outs this whole time to get back on track. Recovery has been extremely varied, with several moments during rehab where my knee was super painful for some reason and has needed additional scans (like right now, not so stoked lol). I also had biodegradable screws put in like @kitkat_766 did, all scans seem to be fine but still getting super random pain often.

I first had this looked at like 8 years ago or so when it was a small crack in the knee, and was given some (very bad) advice from a surgeon to leave it and it'll heal naturally.

I think I've had a very unlucky ride as it seems a lot of people on here have had really good recoveries, but if anyone is reading this and is on the fence about what to do, to mirror @gelly's comments I would 100% get it checked out asap - do not make the same mistake I did!

Massive shout out to @Spec7 for providing loads of super helpful info btw, legend!


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## Seanyo77 (Jun 1, 2021)

Well....my son had this in both of his knees! Had first surgery in 2018 and second in 2019. Unfortunately the one in 2019 didn’t work so going to have surgery number 3 in two weeks to try the cadaver plug route. So frustrating.


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

Seanyo77 said:


> Well....my son had this in both of his knees! Had first surgery in 2018 and second in 2019. Unfortunately the one in 2019 didn't work so going to have surgery number 3 in two weeks to try the cadaver plug route. So frustrating.


That's unfortunate to read. I hope that the third time takes and is the last time that he has to experience this!


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## Spec7 (May 3, 2000)

Follow up on my experience: 
I'm going on a little over 8 years after my OCD surgery and am now in my late 40's. I've discovered that even with all of the physical therapy that was done, the recovery process resulted in a slight change in how I walk and distribute weight as I walk. About 8 months after surgery, I recall people mentioning to me that it looked like I was walking with a limp and I couldn't tell why they were saying that.

In the last 2 or 3 years, I've found myself experiencing plantar fasciitis frequently in my right foot along with noticeable differences in the wear patterns on my shoes. Some of this is simply part of the ageing process, but I speculate that the plantar fasciitis is due to the uneven distribution of weight as I walk. Point of this is, don't be like me. Work with your PT to make sure that your gait and weight distribution returns to as close as it can be to normal. Waking up with what feels like a sprained ankle for weeks on end isn't fun!


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## ENThomas (Aug 19, 2021)

Hey Spec7, I just want to thank you for making a thread such as this, like others it's been a struggle to find a place where people are talking about this type of Surgery.

I'm currently 23 years old and had my OP 2 weeks ago, Tomorrow I get my stiches removed and find out what they have done, from the Hospital notes I've been given I have had arthroscopy knee surgery recovery & the removal of my OCD, I have broke a piece of cartilage off which then broke off into 3 pieces which was stuck back on and I presume they drilled holes to start the healing process while also having a dislocated patella.

I have to admit I was very nervous and scared about my future, being 23 and having to spend the last two years of my life inside has been crushing to have an injury like this come about & alot of peoples stories here have filled me with joy to know and understand others situations, It's crazy how such an injury can make you look at life differently, I'm usually a very cynical, pessimistic and worrier when these types of things happen but reading some of the stories on this thread have really helped me cope during my recovery time, I've read everyones story and thank you all for it, I just hope my recovery goes as well as most of yours, I'm dreaming of the day I can finally walk again since this will be my 5th week of not being able to walk. 

Thank you


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## ENThomas (Aug 19, 2021)

Just an update

I've spoken with my Doctor and I was lucky with the area the OCD surgery was, it was placed right side of my knee (Right leg) & it means that it's Non weight bearing so it won't prevent me from doing sports such as football and Skiing in the future, I understand that this will be a weakness for myself for the rest of my life, but atleast I will be able to return to somewhat normality.

The largest issue is to do with my cartillage because I had one large section displaced which then broke into three smaller sections which meant they had to remove the pieces and allow the regeneration start, they did Key hole surgery and i'm currently going through the recovery which can take upto a year to fully heal, I'm currently 3 weeks post OP and 6 weeks since my incident, it's crazy to me to think that I haven't actually walked, ran, jumped and drove my car for over a month, as well as the fact that I'm not allowed to start physiotherapy until my doctor allows me, which sucks but from what I've been told its super important to let the keyhole surgery do its work after surgery to allow it time to grow and strengthen.


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## ENThomas (Aug 19, 2021)

Hey Everyone who's reading this  

I'm now 3 months since i've had my op & I'm finally regaining abilities to walk,crouch and even jump, I haven't attempted running yet but it seems like this surgery has fixed my issue. It took around 10 weeks for my swelling to go down 80%, its still swollen around the incision site but I was told that is natural. if anyone is reading this and is having/thinking about OCD/Arthroscopy surgery its really rough not having your day to day abilities like walking around and being able to drive post OP, throughout my time when I was immobile with only the use of my crutches I found it to be a pretty heavy hitting time not being able to have the freedom we all experience everyday but It does get better, if you are post OP I suggest don't slack on the physio because reading forums like this really helped me prepare for post OP, I was able to see my physiotherapist today for the first time face to face and due to this thread and others like it, I was told that I was really far ahead with my mobility skills and strenght building, to the point where hopefully next time I see them I will be given the go ahead to start running and doing more intense exercising. 

The big take aways
1: I want to share with my experience is that its going to suck after OP but have a positive attitude because you will walk and return to activities after some time healing
2: The swelling might not go down as fast as you want it to but in my personal case I found that the more I walked on the crutches and really pushed myself the more the swelling went down over time.
3: This is the hardest one but stay positive and occupy your mind, when I first came out after OP I was so fixtated on potential mistakes and really blowing it out of proportion so yeah keep your head up and don't overthink it like i did  
4: Finally just get into a rythem of using the physio because it kills some time but also does so much good for you.

I just want to wish everyone the best of luck Pre OP or post OP on your recovery.


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## Larry4802OCD (Nov 16, 2021)

Reviving the thread. Thanks to all the prior posters and OP for commenting over the past 8.5 years.

I too found solace (and reality) in reading others experiences since this seems to be the most frequented forum on the OCD topic. Especially around recovery

As an active 40 year old, I was running a few times a week (2-3 miles per outing), mountain biking and golfing on the weekends. Heard a pop in the knee, experienced swelling and got the bad news after the MRI.

I sought other opinions from some well regarded orthopedic surgeons (ultimately landed on one near me who is the top ortho for the NFL). Consistently heard I needed surgery but ended up going with removal of the dead bone, harvesting some replacement bone from elsewhere on the leg (no cadaver) and taking on some synthetic cartilage out of what looks like disposable contact lense containers.

I’m 1 week post op - getting situated, standing with crutches, sitting in the wheelchair or returning to my prison, I mean basement sofa, are all still painful endeavors. I’m in a brace and using a combination of anti inflammatories, a cooling machine that pumps icy air into the brace and elevation. Basically it hurts to move - feels super tight and there is a sharp pulling pain if I move in a direction my body vetos.

After reading all the prior posts (more than once), would someone be willing to sketch out a timeline for the first 6-8 weeks non load bearing?

When does the constant ache dissipate? How long before moving stops hurting? Is it normal for my feet to swell and hurt (even on the leg I’m not using)? When does the hip stiffness subside? When did you feel like you could crutch up/down stairs? When did you drive?

I entered into the process with a reasonable timeline (6-8 weeks non load bearing followed by 6-9 months PT). I wholly underestimated how hard/uncomfortable it would be to move during that first window irrespective of the need for crutches and/or a wheelchair.

thanks again


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## ENThomas (Aug 19, 2021)

Larry4802OCD said:


> Reviving the thread. Thanks to all the prior posters and OP for commenting over the past 8.5 years.
> 
> I too found solace (and reality) in reading others experiences since this seems to be the most frequented forum on the OCD topic. Especially around recovery
> 
> ...


Hey Larry, Most of the cases on here are so different and specific to their own diagnoses, I personally think that what you need to prepare yourself for is a long recovery 12 months, I'm currently 4/1-months into recovery while doing alot of PT and walking to regain strenght in my knee as well as not over extending myself as the surgeon won't allow you to do certain activities such as running and weight bearing excercises until hes comfortable. 

If i can give you any tips for the upcoming 6-8 weeks which are helpful I would suggest: 
1. Make your crutches comfortable so potentially add padding to your crutches (Handles) with socks and some padding to prevent your hands from getting iritated.
2. Get a sleeping knee support to help reduce the swelling such as > https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GF9FTBV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
3. Remember to Ice your knee daily, this does really help with the swelling but it does a couple of weeks to see visual results. 

Sorry I don't really have any more to add at the moment but I want to wish you the best of luck with your recovery man, Hopefully you will be back to sports in no time.


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## Larry4802OCD (Nov 16, 2021)

ENThomas said:


> Hey Larry, Most of the cases on here are so different and specific to their own diagnoses, I personally think that what you need to prepare yourself for is a long recovery 12 months, I'm currently 4/1-months into recovery while doing alot of PT and walking to regain strenght in my knee as well as not over extending myself as the surgeon won't allow you to do certain activities such as running and weight bearing excercises until hes comfortable.
> 
> If i can give you any tips for the upcoming 6-8 weeks which are helpful I would suggest:
> 1. Make your crutches comfortable so potentially add padding to your crutches (Handles) with socks and some padding to prevent your hands from getting iritated.
> ...


thanks for the reply and appreciate the support idea - I’ve been trying to make a similar setup with pillows that shift around. Great to know it’s out there in an engineered product. 

today I managed to get upstairs (backwards) which was a big win. Hoping to continue to improve as best as possible.


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## Mitch_1234 (4 mo ago)

Hey everyone, I’ve been looking all day for more information on this type of injury and this thread really makes me feel better. Anyway I’m 21 years old and got diagnosed with an ocd lesion in my knee which has been bugging me for years and will probably need surgery. I’m not a stranger to surgery as I recently had shoulder surgery but I still know it’s gonna suck. I enjoyed bodybuilding, mountain biking, skiing, hiking, and various other physical activities prior to my injuries. I’m really hoping to recover as I want to become a police officer in the future. This makes me more optimistic. Idk when the surgery will be but I may post back here.


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## biff128 (21 d ago)

Hi all, another 23 y/o with OCD… left knee. 5 weeks out from my second surgery for this, 9 months out from the first. Reinstalled the fragment the first time around, which didn’t heal, and this time they put in a graft; it’s been 100x easier. I’m in general a very active person, but I’ve focused on skateboarding my entire life. Sorry to hijack the forum I just wanted to get ahold of @habby to see if he’s had any luck with skating? My doctors seem very apprehensive about it but technically told me I should be back.

Feels good to see other people have gone through this. Hope you all are recovering well <3


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## biff128 (21 d ago)

Hi all, another 23 y/o with OCD… left knee. 5 weeks out from my second surgery for this, 9 months out from the first. Reinstalled the fragment the first time around, which didn’t heal, and this time they put in a graft; it’s been 100x easier. I’m in general a very active person, but I’ve focused on skateboarding my entire life. Sorry to hijack the forum I just wanted to get ahold of @habby to see if he’s had any luck with skating? My doctors seem very apprehensive about it but technically told me I should be back.

Feels good to see other people have gone through this. Hope you all are recovering well <3


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