Aneurysmal bone cyst: clinicopathologic features and treatment of ten cases involving the hand

Ten cases of aneurysmal bone cyst in the hand were identified among 208 such lesions in our institutional files. The patients (six women and four men) had a mean age of 27.3 years. Two patients had open physes. Seven lesions were in the metacarpals. Radiographic examination showed that in all cases the lesion was both expansile and completely lucent. There were no recurrences in the three patients treated by complete excision and bone grafting. Curettage and bone grafting in seven cases was associated with four recurrences. Three of these four local recurrences were treated successfully with curettage procedures. Treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts of the small bones of the hand requires either thorough exteriorization, curettage, and bone grafting or excision and bone grafting.