Franz König names osteochondritis dissecans

Background. Osteochondritis dissecans is a joint disorder affecting the subchondral bone, where cracks form in the articular cartilage and underlying bone. Although James Paget described the disease process in 1870, the specific naming and detailed description of the cause of loose bodies in the joint occurred later. König's work focused on the knee, identifying the condition as an inflammation of the bone-cartilage interface.

Publication. Franz König, a German surgeon active in the late 19th century, published his findings in 1887. His paper addressed the cause of loose bodies in the joint. This publication established the terminology osteochondritis dissecans, linking the condition to a subchondral inflammatory process in the knee that produces loose cartilage fragments from the femoral condyle.