This book addresses hot topics relating to talar osteochondritis dissecans: improvements in the accuracy of diagnosis, sound preoperative planning, optimal treatment and procedure-specific rehabilitation protocols. The technical difficulties in each of these areas are identified and evidence-based guidelines are presented. With regard to diagnosis, several chapters discuss the roles of arthroscopy, standard radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and combined imaging modalities (PET/CT and SPECT/CT). The chapters on treatment cover various surgical options and provide an overview of the direct postoperative treatment; in addition, rehabilitation protocols are described for all the treatment procedures. The authors are leading experts in the field of foot and ankle surgery who have aimed to provide the reader with an up-to-date handbook ideal for use in clinical practice. Their reviews and opinions are based firmly on the best currently available evidence.

Niek van Dijk, MD, PhD, is full Professor in Orthopaedics and head of the Orthopaedic Department of the AMC Hospital (Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam). He is founder and director of the Orthopaedic Research Centre Amsterdam. In the past he has served as President of ESSKA, board member of ISAKOS, Chairman of the ESSKA and ISAKOS Arthroscopy Committees, and President of the Nordic Orthopaedic Federation, the Dutch Orthopaedic Association, and the Dutch Arthroscopy Association. Dr. Van Dijk's research interests lie in ankle and hind foot pathology, arthroscopy and sports traumatology. A particular focus has been diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for chronic ankle injuries and he has also been involved in developing new instrumentation and new minimally invasive operative techniques for the treatment of chronic articular and peri-articular ankle pathology. Dr. van Dijk is engaged in international collaboration with leading universities worldwide. He is a member of several editorial boards; he has authored over 250 scientific indexed publications and 100 chapters and presents on average 25 international invited lectures a year. Overall, current research projects involve 27 PhD students.

John G. Kennedy, MD, MCh, FRCS (Orth), is Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medical School and Assistant Attending Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York. He is board certified in Orthopaedics & Traumatology. Dr. Kennedy is a current ESSKA board member. He is particularly interested in the sports aspect of foot and ankle surgery and has focused his research efforts on cartilage and soft tissue injuries about the ankle joint. He has presented this work at national and international meetings and at several grand rounds, and has delivered lectures in the AANA and AAOS instructional course series. He is Associate Master Instructor on the AANA Ankle and Foot Arthroscopy and Reconstructive Surgery Course, 2013. Dr. Kennedy holds editorial positions with a number of journals, including Foot & Ankle International , Journal of Orthopaedic Research , Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research , Cartilage (Journal of the International Cartilage Repair Society), the American Journal of Sports Medicine and the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons . He is the lead or co-author of more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Kennedy is chairman of the International Congress for Cartilage Repair of the Ankle (ICCRA).