Treatment of a Simple Bone Cyst Using a Cannulated Hydroxyapatite Pin

Simple bone cysts (SBCs) are benign bone tumors. However, the treatment of SBCs remains controversial because of their healing rate and the invasiveness of surgery. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the treatment of SBCs using a cannulated hydroxyapatite (HA) pin. A total of 43 patients (35 males, 8 females; mean age 12.1 years; age range, 5–22 years) with SBCs were treated with continuous decompression by inserting ceramic HA pins between 1989 and 2014. The SBCs were located in the calcaneus in 23, the humerus in 15, the femur in 3, and the pelvis in 2 cases. In all patients, minimal fenestration of the cyst wall and curettage and multiple drilling in the cyst wall were performed, followed by insertion of the HA pin. The mean follow-up period was 26.6 months. Operating time, healing period, risk factors for recurrence, and the cure rate were evaluated. Healing was achieved without intervention in 38 patients after a mean of 6.4 months. Two patients had persistent small residual cysts, which had no changes after 1 year at the latest follow-up. There were 5 patients with recurrences (humerus 4, femur 1), who were cured by curettage and artificial bone grafting. The final healing rate by cannulation only using an HA pin was 88.2%. On Fisher exact test, age, site of SBCs, and distance from the physis were found to be significantly associated with SBC recurrence (P < 0.05). In the present study, cannulation using an HA pin for SBCs was found to be a useful technique, particularly for calcaneal cysts, because it is a minimally invasive procedure with a high cure rate. In patients <10 years, involvement of the humerus and contact with the growth plate were significant risk factors for SBC recurrence.