Pathologic proximal femoral fracture complicating aneurysmal bone cyst: management and alternatives of fixation in eight patients

Do's and Don'ts in Primary Aneurysmal Bone Cysts of the Proximal Femur in Children and Adolescents: Retrospective Multicenter EPOS Study of 79 Patients

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are rare benign cystic bone tumors, generally diagnosed in children and adolescents. Proximal femoral ABCs may require specific treatment strategies because of an increased pathologic fracture risk. As few reports are published on ABCs, specifically for this localization, consensus regarding optimal treatment is lacking. We present a large retrospective study on the treatment of pediatric proximal femoral ABCs.

METHODS

All eligible pediatric patients with proximal femoral ABC were included, from 11 tertiary referral centers for musculo-skeletal oncology (2000-2021). Patient demographics, diagnostics, treatments, and complications were evaluated. Index procedures were categorized as percutaneous/open procedures and osteosynthesis alone. Primary outcomes were: time until full weight-bearing and failure-free survival. Failure was defined as open procedure after primary surgery, >3 percutaneous procedures, recurrence, and/or fracture. Risk factors for failure were evaluated.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine patients with ABC were included [mean age, 10.2 (±SD4.0) y, n=56 male]. The median follow-up was 5.1 years (interquartile ranges=2.5 to 8.8).Index procedure was percutaneous procedure (n=22), open procedure (n=35), or osteosynthesis alone (n=22). The median time until full weight-bearing was 13 weeks [95% confidence interval (CI)=7.9-18.1] for open procedures, 9 weeks (95% CI=1.4-16.6) for percutaneous, and 6 weeks (95% CI=4.3-7.7) for osteosynthesis alone ( P =0.1). Failure rates were 41%, 43%, and 36%, respectively. Overall, 2 and 5-year failure-free survival was 69.6% (95% CI=59.2-80.0) and 54.5% (95% CI=41.6-67.4), respectively. Risk factors associated with failure were age younger than 10 years [hazard ratios (HR)=2.9, 95% CI=1.4-5.8], cyst volume >55 cm 3 (HR=1.7, 95% CI=0.8-2.5), and fracture at diagnosis (HR=1.4, 95% CI=0.7-3.3).

CONCLUSIONS

As both open and percutaneous procedures along with osteosynthesis alone seem viable treatment options in this weight-bearing location, optimal treatment for proximal femoral ABCs remains unclear. The aim of the treatment was to achieve local cyst control while minimizing complications and ensuring that children can continue their normal activities as soon as possible. A personalized balance should be maintained between undertreatment, with potentially higher risks of pathologic fractures, prolonged periods of partial weight-bearing, or recurrences, versus overtreatment with large surgical procedures, and associated risks.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, therapeutic study.

Surgical treatment of benign osteolytic lesions in the femoral head and neck: a systematic review

Background and objectives

Treatment of benign osteolytic lesions in the femoral head and neck can be extremely challenging, particularly in children with open physis or for aggressive tumors with pathological fracture. There remains the difficult management decision as to whether to perform complete excision of the involved area or only curettage. Moreover, there is no agreed consensus on the optimal approach to lesion access when performing curettage, which included the transcervical, open and direct approach. The current systematic review aims to provide guidance for selection of surgical methods in clinical practice by comparing the advantages and drawbacks of different procedures.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were executed for human studies restricted to the English language. The search was filtered to include studies published from January 1980 to January 2020.

Results

A total of 33 articles including 274 patients were enrolled in the final analysis. The most common diagnosis was chondroblastoma (CBT) (104, 38.0%), followed by giant cell tumor (GCT) (56, 20.4%). There were 57 (20.8%) patients with pathological fracture. Intralesional curettage was performed in 257 (93.8%) patients with the local recurrence of 12.5% at the mean follow-up of 51.5 months. The patients who were presented with open physis or curetted via transcervical approach developed higher local recurrence in patients with CBT (P < 0.001). The local recurrence rate of GCT is 33.3% after curettage, while 8 of 9 (88.9%) patients with fracture were treated successfully with joint preservation. Two of 45 (4.4%) patients developed avascular necrosis (AVN) of femoral head after surgical hip dislocation. The reported Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) Score was comparable among patients with different approaches to curettage.

Conclusion

The majority of benign osteolytic lesions in the femoral head and neck can be treated with intralesional curettage with acceptable local tumor control and satisfactory function. The incidence of local recurrence might be decreased dramatically for lesion access under direct visualization. The native joint maintenance could be achieved even in patients with aggressive lesions presenting pathological fracture.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-021-04442-y.

Biological reconstruction of the proximal femur after treatment of benign lesions: comparison of functional and oncological outcomes for children and adults

PURPOSE

Describe and compare the functional and oncological outcomes and complications between paediatric and adult patients after intra-lesional treatment of benign tumours of the proximal femur, stabilised with an autologous non-vascularised fibular strut graft (NVFSG).

METHODS

Retrospective review including 54 patients with a benign histopathological diagnosis treated between 1987 and 2018. The mean age at operation was 17 years (range, 3 to 37 years) with a median follow-up of 39.5 months (IQR 46.7 months). Patients were grouped according to their age at diagnosis (< 16 years versus ≥ 16 years). Data collection included weight-bearing status, Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) score, local recurrence, revision surgery and complications. Local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and revision-free survival (RFS) were calculated and compared between groups.

RESULTS

The median MSTS score for all patients was 98.3% (IQR 6.7%) without a statistically significant difference (p = 0.146) between both groups. The median time to full weight-bearing was 12 weeks (IQR 0 weeks). Local recurrence occurred in five (9%) patients. LRFS for all patients was 96% at 2 years and 88% at 5 years. Although local recurrence was more frequent in the paediatric group, LRFS did not significantly differ (p = 0.155, 95% CI 223.9 to 312.3) between both groups. Reoperation rate was 13% and was indicated for local recurrence, post-operative fracture, graft resorption and avascular necrosis. RFS for all patients was 90% at 2 years and 85% at 5 years. There was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.760, 95% CI 214.1 to 304.6) regarding RFS between both groups.

CONCLUSION

The use of an autogenous NVFSG after intra-lesional curettage of benign proximal femoral lesions allows for a biological, structural stabilisation without additional osteosynthesis, hastening weight-bearing and avoiding metalwork-related complications with minimal post-operative morbidity and complications and excellent functional and oncological outcome for both children and adults.

Review of 16 cases of aneurysmal bone cyst in the proximal femur treated by extended curettage and cryosurgery with reconstruction using autogenous nonvascularized fibula graft

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is an aggressive benign lesion that may sometimes be difficult to treat. Lesions that occur in the proximal femur require to be addressed aggressively because of the high rate of local recurrence and the risk of fracture. Few articles report the experience of management of ABC in the proximal femur. This location presents a surgical challenge due to its anatomical and biomechanical peculiarity.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 16 cases with ABC in the proximal femur that were treated in our institution between 2005 and 2014, utilizing extended curettage and liquid nitrogen as adjuvant therapy and reconstruction using nonvascularized autogenous fibular strut graft. The mean follow-up period was 50.5 months. Five cases presented as recurrent cases, while four cases presented with pathological fractures.

RESULTS

The functional score ranged from 70 to 90 on modified Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score with a mean score of 81.25, which is considered to be excellent function. Time for graft incorporation ranged from 10 to 12 weeks. One case got local recurrence, and one case got early surgical site infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Extended curettage and cryotherapy represent a recommended approach for management of ABC in the proximal femur with favorable results.