[Long-term results of autograft and allograft applications in hand enchondromas]

We evaluated the long-term results of treatment with curettage followed by an autograft or allograft application in patients with enchondroma of the hand.

Within a 15-year period, 76 patients (41 males, 35 females; mean age 32 years; range 14 to 47 years) were operated on for enchondroma of the hand. Following curettage of the lesion, reconstruction of the defect was made either by an autograft obtained from the iliac crest (n=76) or by a dehydrated cancellous allograft (n=15). The diagnosis was histologically confirmed in all the cases. Functional and radiographic results were assessed according to the Enneking scoring system and the Tordai classification system, respectively. The mean follow-up periods were 13.5 years (10-22 years) and 7.4 years (6-11 years) in autograft and allograft applications, respectively.

Consolidation of the autografts took a mean of 38 days and maximum grasp force was obtained in a mean of 46 days. These periods were 51 and 55 days, respectively, for the allografts. Functional results were excellent/very good in 64%, good in 23%, and poor in 13.1% with autografts; radiographically, 78.7% of the patients were in group I, 18% were in group II, and 3.3% were in group III. Of the allograft group, the results were excellent/very good in 66.7%, good in 26.7%, and poor in 6.7%. Radiographically, 80%, 13.3%, and 6.7% of the patients were classified in group I, II, and III, respectively. There were two recurrences in the autograft group, while one patient, in the allograft group, who had multiple enchondromatosis required a ray amputation because of malignant transformation.

Autograft and allograft applications seem to yield similar success rates in the treatment of enchondroma of the hand.