Outcome of percutaneous curettage for bone cysts in the upper extremities

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the bone healing and recurrence rate after percutaneous curettage of bone cysts in the upper extremities in children and young adolescents. Orthopaedic department at Jordan University Hospital -Amman. The study started from September 1998 to August 2007, treating 10 children [seven males and three females] with a mean age of 8.57 year [range 3 to 12.3 years].There were eight cysts in the humerus and two in the radius. The cases comprised 5 simple bone cysts [SBC] and 5 aneurysmal bone cysts [ABC] confirmed histopathologically. All cases were treated percutaneously under the guidance of image intensifier by the senior author under general anaesthesia. After a mean duration of follow-up of 2.84 years [range 15m- 4 years], complete healing of the bone cysts had occurred in all cases at the most recent radiograph. All patients returned to full activities and were asymptomatic. No early or late complications were encountered during the course of follow-up. The use of percutaneous curettage in the surgical treatment of benign bone cystic lesions in the upper extremities is an effective treatment to control local recurrences and enhance bony consolidation without using bone graft