Bone cysts are fluid-filled cavities that develop inside bones. They can occur in any bone, but are most common in long bones (humerus, femur). Bone cysts are generally benign and sometimes resolve spontaneously, but in some cases they tend to progress, weakening the bone.
They can be discovered by chance during examinations performed for other reasons or following fractures that occur following minor trauma to a weakened bone (pathological fractures).
There are several types of bone cysts, including unicameral bone cysts and aneurysmal bone cysts, each with specific characteristics.
Bone cysts in children: surgical treatment
Surgical treatment of bone cysts may first require a biopsy in cases where the diagnosis must be confirmed with certainty and differentiated, for example, between simple cysts and aneurysmal cysts.
Other surgical procedures will then be used to try to reduce the inflammation by promoting healing (cortisone injections), empty the cysts (curettage), stimulate the body to produce bone in the cavity area and fill the bones with grafts (bone bank grafts, synthetic bone, etc.).
In specific cases (for example, very weakened areas) it may be necessary to apply implants (plates, nails) to protect the weakened area and prevent it from collapsing while waiting for the bone to restructure.
