Severe bone wax foreign-body reaction causing peroneal tendon destruction

Bone wax is commonly used in orthopedic procedures for the hemostatic control of cancellous bone bleeding. Herein, ordinary bone wax was used to stop bleeding intraoperatively at the site of a peroneal tubercle resection. Five months postoperatively, a symptomatic retrofibular mass was removed. Gross examination showed severe peroneal tendon destruction associated with the mass. Microscopic examination diagnosed a bone wax granuloma. To our knowledge, this is the first case of significant tendon and nerve damage resulting from a bone wax foreign-body granuloma.