Aneurysmal bone cyst following tibial fracture: a case report

A 14 year-old boy developed a tibial aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) following a closed tibia fracture. The tumor formed in a site remote from the fracture and was not radiographically apparent until one year following the traumatic event. Most ABC's present due to fracture or pain, but this lesion was discovered during routine follow up films of the tibial shaft fracture. This case lends support to the debated theory that ABC's are reactive bone lesions and provides a rare radiographic glimpse at the lesion's early rate of development.