Pathological Fracture of Calcaneum: A Case Report

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are blood filled fibrous tumor-like cysts that expand the bone giving it a blown out appearance. It is usually seen in the second decade. ABCs were first described by Jaffe and Litchensen in 1942. The exact etiology is unknown. One of the most widely accepted ideas was that aneurysmal bone cyst was a consequence of increased venous pressure and subsequent dilatation and rupture of the local vascular network. However, studies by Panoutsakopoulus et al. and Olivia et al. uncovered the clonal neoplastic nature of ABCs. Here, we report a case of aneurysmal bone cyst of calcaneum, which is one of the rarest sites.

A 25-year-old male presented with a history of trivial fall from a ladder and landing on the right heel. He complained of pain and swelling. On examination, he had swelling over the medial aspect of the right heel. The skin over the swelling was stretched, and it was soft in consistency and tender. Curettage and bone grafting was done. The patient was pain-free and was bearing weight fully on the operated limb, 12 weeks postoperatively.

Aneurysmal bone cyst of calcaneum although seen rarely should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses in the cystic lesions in calcaneum. Curettage and bone grafting has stood the test of time as standard treatment.