Most people are familiar with rib pain caused by a bruised rib or a broken rib. But rib pain can also result from a medical condition known as osteochondritis dissecans, or simply osteochondritis.

Osteochondritis dissecans can actually happen anywhere there's a joint in the body, especially the hips, knees and ankles.

Osteochondritis dissecans begins when a piece of cartilage, along with a thin layer of the bone beneath it, breaks loose loose from the end of a bone.

Unlike most other types of joint pain which occur with advancing age (arthritis is a good example), osteochondritis dissecans typically happens to older children and teenagers - especially if they're actively engaged in athletics.

Osteochondritis dissecans causes pain near the end of a bone. In the case of rib pain caused by osteochondritis dissecans, the discomfort typically occurs where the ribs connect to either the breastbone or the backbone. The exact causes of osteochondritis dissecans are somewhat unclear, but it generally appears in one of three circumstances.

1. There has been an injury or repetitive stress damage to a joint. These types of injuries are more likely to occur to teenagers and younger people because they're more active in sports. They're also likely to do more of the kind of exercise that produces repetitive stress damage to joints.

Another common cause of rib pain from osteochondritis dissecans is a blow to the chest or back as the result of an accident (especially an auto accident).

Osteochondritis dissecans doesn't always result from just one blow or impact, however. If you sustain a series of repeated blows over the course of time, minute damage caused by each one will eventually become recognizable damage, leading to pain from osteochondritis dissecans.

2. A second leading cause of osteochondritis dissecans is an obstruction that blocks blood circulation near the end of a bone. This causes both the bone and the cartilage around it to deteriorate. This condition is called avascular necrosis by doctors.

3. Lastly, genetics may play a part. There's evidence that certain people are predisposed to developing osteochondritis dissecans.

Pain in the ribs is one of the most prominent symptoms of osteochondritis dissecans when it affects the chest or back. The discomfort is generally most intense near the sternum or the spine.

Pain may be especially apparent when you're exercising vigorously and need to breathe deeply and quickly.

As mentioned before, osteochondritis dissecans doesn't only affect the ribcage and torso. It often strikes other joints. When osteochondritis dissecans develops in a knee, hip, or ankle, you won't have full range of motion and the joint will feel as if it's sticking when you move. There may be a sensation of weakness in joints where osteochondritis dissecans has developed, along with some swelling and tenderness. When it happens in the front of your rib cage, it can be mistaken for chest pain similar to angina. Pain in the upper back near the spine could seem like a symptom of gallbladder trouble.

Getting an early diagnosis on osteochondritis dissecans is important. When left untreated, it can eventually lead to some degree of incapacity in the affected joint. When treating osteochondritis dissecans, your doctor will focus on restoring the joint to normal function while also alleviating or even eliminating pain. Treatment choices vary from one patient to another, but happily, there are a number of options. Your doctor is likely to recommend one or more of the following.

Staying away from activities that could worsen the condition or increase the damage. Rest will help, as will avoiding movements that cause pain or increase inflammation in the joint.

In most cases, it's a good idea to immobilize the affected joint. This won't work, of course, if osteochondritis dissecans affects your ribs, because they move every time you breathe in and out. But you can definitely refrain from activities that require deep, rapid breathing like sports or enthusiastic exercise.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium can help relieve your rib pain. These are often better known by their brand names, which include Advil, Motrin, Aleve, and Naprosyn.

Your doctor is likely to recommend physical therapy. By stretching and doing range-of-motion exercises, you can relieve the pain in joints and restore normal movement. Be mindful, however, that rib pain is somewhat different that pain in other joints, so you'll need to carefully follow the instructions of your therapist or doctor.

Surgery for rib pain from osteochondritis dissecans is usually the last option. Most doctors will exhaust non-surgical possibilities over the course of three months or so before recommending an operation.

Once again, early diagnosis of osteochondritis dissecans as the source of your rib pain is important. By talking to your doctor and following his or her recommendations for treatment, you can return to normal activities - without pain - as quickly as possible.