Giant Cell Tumor of the Olecranon With a Displaced Pathological Fracture Successfully Treated by Intralesional...

Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is a locally aggressive intermediate bone tumor that typically arises at the epiphysis of long bones. GCTB occurring in the olecranon is extremely rare, and the optimal surgical strategy when complicated by pathological fractures with marked displacement involving the articular surface remains unclear. In this case, the fracture site was significantly displaced. Through the gap created by the displacement, we performed thorough curettage of the lesion, anatomical reduction, synthetic bone grafting, and plate fixation. Histopathological examination confirmed GCTB. At 9 months postoperatively, the patient was pain-free, with a full range of motion in the elbow joint and no functional limitations. The patient remained asymptomatic at 10 years postoperatively, and imaging showed no evidence of local recurrence. This case suggests that, in olecranon GCTB complicated by pathological fracture, access through the fracture gap may allow thorough intralesional curettage and anatomical reduction and fixation in certain situations, potentially leading to favorable long-term functional and oncological outcomes. However, pathological fracture in GCTB remains a clinical challenge and should not generally be considered advantageous.