Osteochondritis of the capitellum or Panner's Disease: causes and diagnosis

Panner's disease is a common pathology that affects the elbow of children who often play throwing sports or are exposed to repetitive elbow movements. Quickly diagnosing the disease and starting treatment on time helps to achieve a very positive recovery. In this post, we tell you everything about this injury.

What is Panner's Disease?

Panner's disease, also called osteochondritis of the capitellum or osteonecrosis of the humeral capitellum, is part of the group of injuries that can appear in a child's elbow due to lateral compression forces, as occurs in throwing sports.

First described in 1927, Panner's disease is defined as isolated osteochondritis of the capitellum of the humerus., in the elbow generally dominant, which appears in children between 2 and 15 years old, frequently related to minor repetitive trauma.

In other words, Panner's disease appears due to temporary changes in the capitellum bone (outer elbow bone) in which the blood supply to the areas of bone growth is interrupted.

Although it is similar to osteochondritis dissecans of the capitellum, they are two different diseases with completely different age of onset, radiographic images, prognosis and treatment. Therefore, it is essential to make a correct differential diagnosis and adequate clinical follow-up.

Symptoms of Panner's Disease

The main symptom of Panner's disease is pain in the elbow, which, without being very intense, appears insidious or continuous and, generally, is difficult to describe or locate. The pain is felt primarily on the outside of the elbow and worsens when performing an activity that involves stress on the joint, such as throwing a ball.

But in addition to this symptom, a patient with Panner's disease may experience swelling and stiffness of the elbow and tenderness to touch. Patients who suffer this injury are unable to fully extend their elbow and are unable to rotate their arm.

We must take into account that, especially in children, bones heal and rebuild very well. Most children with Panner disease do not have problems again once they are cured. Over time, the upper arm bone injury will completely repair itself.

Causes of Panner's Disease

Panner's disease arises primarily from overstraining of the capitellum and the surrounding cartilage.. It is usually caused by repetitive movements that can generate microfractures and interrupt the blood supply to the subchondral bone, affecting and altering its growth.

Other possible causes of Panner's disease They are physical and repetitive traumas, other endocrine factors, ischemia (blood flow restrictions), some bone abnormalities, avascular necrosis (loss of blood flow), and deficiencies or imbalances of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

Because it is a common pathology in throwing sports such as baseball, American football, or others that involve movements that can generate lateral compression such as artistic gymnastics, Panner's disease is commonly considered a sports injury of the elbow.

Treatment and diagnosis of Panner's Disease

To diagnose the Panner's disease, the specialist usually only asks about the child's physical activities and requests an x-ray of the elbow. In some specific cases, an MRI may also be necessary to observe the bone in more detail.

In the case of Panner's disease, rest is the best treatment and no surgery will be required, since The reconstruction of the capitellum undergoes a continuous process in which old dead cells are reabsorbed and replaced by new cells.

To reduce symptoms, The first step of treatment is to reduce stressful activities of the elbow. Children with Panner's disease should avoid all activities that cause pain so the bone can heal.

This is usually enough to relieve symptoms spontaneously and, despite requiring a prolonged period for definitive healing, many patients demonstrate excellent long-term results.

In turn, it is normal for the specialist to recommend placing a cold compress or ice on the elbow, carrying out physical therapy sessions and taking pain medications. Physiotherapy for Panner's disease has been found to be highly effective in helping with stretching and strengthening the arm.

In more serious cases, surgical treatment may be necessary to permanently resolve the injury. At Elgeadi Traumatology we perform minimally invasive surgeries with the most advanced technology and we have a team of experts who help treat this disease in the best way.

Who is affected by Panner's Disease?

Panner's disease is usually more common in children who are in the growing season and are hitting their first growth spurt. Consequently, children between 5 and 10 years old and those young athletes who practice sports that work the upper body are more sensitive to suffering this injury.

Generally, children with Panner's disease should stop playing sports for a while until it no longer causes pain. This usually takes only a few weeks, but in some cases, it can take months.

If you know a child who may suffer from this disease, contact Elgeadi Traumatology so that we can make a professional diagnosis and indicate the treatment that best suits your type of injury. Booking here your appointment with our experienced medical team in the most important and prestigious hospitals in Spain.