Excision of a Distal Tibial Interosseous Osteochondroma Through Posterolateral Approach: A Case Report.

Osteochondromas arising from the interosseous border of the distal tibia are rare, but cases have been reported previously in the literature. In long-standing cases, they can cause a "mass effect" resulting in the deformation of the bones around the ankle joint, mechanical restriction of joint movement, and even degenerative joint disease. Hence, they need to be resected if patients present with such impending complications. Several surgical techniques have been described previously for tumor resection including the anterior approach and the trans-fibular approach, the latter of which required a fibular osteotomy with or without fibular reconstruction. The surgical technique described here utilizes the posterolateral approach to the ankle joint for tumor excision, thus avoiding the need for any osteotomy or fibular reconstruction and reducing the risk of injury to major neurovascular structures. It also reduces the need for long-term immobilization and promotes a faster return to activity.

Giant osteochondral body in a popliteal cyst.

Popliteal cysts, although commonly seen, are rarely associated with motion restriction or calcification. Radiological features are of soft-tissue swelling, with occasional reports of calcifications or small osteochondral bodies inside the cysts. We report a giant osteochondral body in a popliteal cyst, with significant mechanical block to flexion. This type of mass has to be differentiated from synovial osteochondromatosis, calcifications in the cyst, extraosseous and intraarticular osteochondromas. Complete excision of the cyst resulted in complete recovery of range of motion.