Abstract
Objective: Benign bone lesions in children although rare, can result in a pathological fracture.
Although their etiology and pathogenesis are not yet entirely clear, the phenomenon
of spontaneous healing is well known. Nevertheless, some benign bone lesions are unlikely
to heal spontaneously due to the patient's age or high risk of fracture and deformity
due to the lesion's location or size. The following study presents our results after
treatment of these bone cysts with chronOS Inject.
Methods: From June 2004 to May 2007 23 patients with 24 benign bone cysts were treated with
chronOS Inject, an injectable tricalcium phosphate, using a minimally invasive technique
at two pediatric surgery departments. Postoperative follow-up examined bone healing,
remodeling, chronOS Inject resorption and adverse effects.
Results: 15 males and 9 females, mean age 11 years at time of diagnosis, were treated with
chronOS Inject. The humerus was affected 13 times, the femur 7 times, the tibia twice
and the radius, the fibula and talus once each. Except for one case, all pathological
fractures healed within five weeks post-injection. Two children had cystic residues.
No severe adverse effects were seen.
Conclusions: These preliminary results indicate that chronOS Inject could provide an alternative
treatment for benign bone cysts that are unlikely to heal spontaneously due to the
patient's age, high risk of instability or pathological fracture due to the lesion's
size or location, or lesions that have already been treated several times using other
methods without success.
Key words
benign bone lesion - tricalcium phosphate - injectable - children
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Correspondence
Alexander JoerisM.D.
Dept. Pediatric Surgery, Children's University Hospital
University of Berne Inselspital
3010 Berne
Switzerland
Phone: +41 31 6322111
Fax: +41 31 6329292
Email: alexander.joeris@insel.ch
