The natural course of spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SPONK) A 1-to 27-year follow-up of 40 patients
Background and purpose Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SPONK) is a painful lesion in the elderly, frequently leading to osteoarthritis and subsequent knee surgery. We evaluated the natural course and long-term consequences of SPONK in terms of need for major knee surgery. Methods Between 1982 and 1988, 40 consecutive patients were diagnosed with SPONK. The short-term outcome has been report