Unicameral bone cysts: Current concepts

Abstract

Unicameral bone cysts (UBC) or simple/solitary bone cysts are benign fluid filled cavities that enlarge over time, resulting in thinning of the bone. Usually these cysts are reported in the metaphyseal areas of long bones with open physes. 85% of UBCs occur almost exclusively in children and adolescents. UBCs are more aggressive in the first decade of life and correspondingly the recurrence rate for these patients is four times that for adolescents. The proximal humerus and femur account for almost 90% of these cases. UBCs are classified as active when they are within 1 cm of the physis and latent as they progress to a diaphyseal location. Differential diagnoses for UBC include aneurysmal bone cyst, fibrous dysplasia, enchondroma, and intraosseous ganglia. By the time of skeletal maturity most UBCs tend to resolve. Nonoperative treatment may be a viable option for many patients with small or symptomatic lesions. Interventions include steroid injection, open curettage and bone grafting, decompression and percutaneous injection of marrow or graft substitutes.

Treatment of simple bone cysts of the humerus by intramedullary nailing and steroid injection

“…According to Virchow, simple bone cysts (SBCs), also called unicameral bone cysts (UBCs), are benign fluidfilled bone tumors, which commonly and typically locate in metaphysis of long bones in children [1]. SBCs are usually discovered in the presence of pathological fractures [2][3][4], and they are more common in long bones, especially in humerus and femur, and less common in tibia, fibula, radius, and ulna [5,6]. The sex ratio of male to female patients with SBCs is approximately 2:1, indicating the incidence of this disease may be related to gender [7].…”

Post-traumatic Bone Granuloma Caused by Retained Foreign Bodies

“…Osteoid osteoma was not considered because it presents a typical appearance of intralesional nidus and surrounding sclerosis, and it is commonly found in patients between the ages of 10 and 35 [10]. Solitary cysts are often discovered right after trauma as pathological fractures and are most common in proximal humerus and femur [11]. In aneurismal cysts we usually find intralesionals trabeculae and fluid-fluid levels [12].…”

Comparison of three treatment methods for simple bone cyst in children

“…The effective rate of ABM+ESIN group was signi cantly higher than that of the ABM group (P<0.05), and the cure rates of ESIN group and ABM+ESIN group were signi cantly higher than that of ABM group (P<0.05, respectively). Among three groups who were completely cured (23 in ESIN group, 13 in ABM group and 26 in ABM+ESIN group), the cured period was 22.2±3.3 months in ESIN, 27.7±7.8 months in ABM and 31.3±8.5 months in ABM+ESIN group. The cure period of ESIN group was signi cantly lower than that of the other two groups (P<0.05).…”

“…Unicameral bone cyst (UBC) is a benign tumor which usually occurs in the epiphysis of the long diaphysis [1][2][3] . The etiology and pathogenesis of UBC in children have not been identi ed 3 .…”

“…Unicameral bone cyst (UBC) is a benign tumor which usually occurs in the epiphysis of the long diaphysis [1][2][3] . The etiology and pathogenesis of UBC in children have not been identi ed 3 . There are many treatment methods in clinical practice for bone cysts, such as autograft or allograft bone grafting after lesion curettage [3][4][5] , local injection of autogenous bone marrow (ABM) [6][7] or methylprednisolone 8 and implantation of elastic stable intramedullary nail (ESIN) [9][10][11] .…”