Congenital pseudarthrosis of long bones: a clinical, radiographic, histologic and ultrastructural study

Sixteen patients with pseudarthrosis of the tibia and one of the radius were evaluated clinically, radiograpically, and microscopically and separated into 3 groups; 8 had neurofibromatosis clinically, 3 had fibrous dysplasia histologically, and 6 had no evidence of either neurofibromatosis or fibrous dysplasia. Prognosis and therapy were determined by correlated clinical, radiographic, and histological observations. Fracture before age 2 years carried a poor prognosis. Electron microscopy allowed neither differentiation among these fibrous lesions, nor any clue to their origin, nor did it support the concept of a neural or vascular derivation.