Giant Cell Tumor of the Wrist After Fracture Osteosynthesis: A Case Report

A 60-year-old female sustained a distal radius fracture and underwent open reduction internal fixation with a volar locking plate. The patient had an uneventful recovery until four months postoperatively when the patient clinically regressed, and an expansile, radiolucent metaepiphyseal lesion was found. Further workup revealed this was a giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB). Definitive management consisted of extensive curettage, cryoablation, and cementation of the lesion, and the hardware was left intact. The current case presents an uncommon presentation of GCTB. The case illuminates the importance of thorough scrutiny of postoperative radiographs when clinical improvement plateaus or regresses and the need to pursue additional workup when the clinical course is atypical. The authors query the possibility of a sub-radiological presentation of GCTB.