Diagnostic features of lumbar canal osteochondroma and review of literature

Abstract

Osteochondroma is a common benign primary bone tumor that can be multiple or solitary and is usually caused by a developmental defect in the growth plate. Osteochondroma usually arises from an osteochondroma near the ends of long bones and is less likely to occur in the spine. Data show that the incidence of single spinal osteochondroma is only 1.3%-4%, and the most common sites are cervical vertebra, thoracic vertebra, thoracolumbar and lumbar vertebra. Osteochondroma of the lumbar spine is rare because its ossification center generally ossified around 30 years of age, later than cervical and thoracic vertebrae. Only about 30% of patients with osteochondroma of the lumbar spine had intact cartilage caps. If the thickness of the cartilage cap is assessed, it is difficult to see on conventional radiographs. Conventional radiographic assessment is usually used to diagnose osteochondroma in the extremities, whereas radiographic diagnosis of osteochondroma in the spine is more difficult. This case was reported as a female patient with a single osteochondroma, which occurred in the lumbar spine and had a complete cartilage cap during the operation. This case is rare, which can provide some help for clinical practice to avoid misdiagnosis and missed treatment of this kind of disease.