Function after injection of benign bone lesions with a bioceramic.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomaterials science
• Regenerative medicine

Background:

• A novel injectable bone graft substitute composed of calcium sulfate-calcium phosphate has received FDA approval for non-weight-bearing bone defects.
• Preclinical data supports its use, but clinical utility remains undocumented in scientific literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the postoperative functional outcomes and complication rates in patients with benign bone lesions treated with this novel bioceramic material.
• To establish the clinical efficacy of the injectable bone graft substitute in a real-world setting.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review was conducted on 56 patients (29 male, 27 female; average age 17.6 years) treated for various benign bone lesions between 2006 and 2008.
• Diagnoses included unicameral bone cyst, aneurysmal bone cyst, nonossifying fibroma, fibrous dysplasia, enchondroma, chondroblastoma, and others.
• Functional outcomes were assessed using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) evaluation, with a minimum follow-up of 26 months (average 42 months).

Main Results:

• The average MSTS functional score was 29 (range 20-30), indicating that most patients achieved normal function post-treatment.
• Three local recurrences were managed with repeat injection or curettage.
• Two patients experienced postoperative fractures (closed treatment) and two had wound complications, neither requiring graft material removal.

Conclusions:

• The injectable calcium sulfate-calcium phosphate composite demonstrated high MSTS functional scores and low complication rates over 24 months post-intervention.
• This novel bioceramic material represents a reasonable and effective treatment option for benign bone lesions.
• Further research may explore its application in weight-bearing scenarios.