Bilateral Osteochondrosis of the primary patellar ossification centers in a young athlete: A case report

Osteochondroses are a group of idiopathic self-limited conditions seen in skeletally immature individuals. The term describes disturbances in endochondral ossification affecting either the primary or secondary ossification centers. Osteochondrosis of the tarsal navicular was first described by Köhler in 1908; the eponym "Köhler's disease" is commonly used to refer to this condition. In his original paper, Köhler also described one instance of an osteochondrosis of the primary patellar ossification center, a clinical entity that has since rarely been reported. We present a case of isolated bilateral "Köhler's disease of the patellae" in an approximately 7-year-old male athlete demonstrated clinically and radiographically by both plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging.