[Bone resorption and remodelling in chondrosarcomas of the limbs and pelvis. Diagnostic value in 84 cases]

Aside well known histological and cytological arguments of malignancy, we have analysed the tumoral growth and invasion in periphery for the skeletal chondrosarcoma diagnosis. This study involves 84 cases of chondrosarcoma of limbs, and pelvic limb selected from 176 cases of chondrosarcoma seen in the Cochin hospital. The following constatations were made: the tumor growth is fast in a chondrosarcoma and the lesions are continuous; in a same case, we can assist to tumoral invasion signs and bone reparation signs. In the reverse, this growth is slow in an enchondroma and the lesions are the more often stabilized by a mature peri-tumoral osteogenesis. The residual bone fragments into the tumor are constant in the chondrosarcoma and more rare in the enchondroma. The peri-tumoral osteogenesis, identical to enchondral bone formation, is the more often immature in chondrosarcoma and always mature in enchondroma. The active bone resorption as well as the actual bone remodelling, are more frequent in the chondrosarcoma borders than the enchondroma those. Lastly, the peri-tumoral fibrosis is the own of enchondroma; its existence in the chondrosarcoma is only the reflection of a residual enchondroma.