Closed biopsy of musculoskeletal lesions

Five hundred and thirty-one closed biopsies have been done in our general hospital since 1967. Four hundred and eighty-four were for lesions of bone and forty-seven were for soft-tissue lesions. More than half of the lesions were infections or nonspecifically reactive. The procedure was done under local anesthesia in 73 per cent and roentgenographic or image-intensifier control was generally required. The Craig needle was used for cancellous bone near vital structures; the Michele trephine, for cortical or sclerotic bone at a distance from vital structures; and a special needle was used for soft tissue. Closed biopsy provided an adequate specimen that was accurately diagnosed in 66 per cent of bone lesions and in 76 per cent of soft-tissue lesions. This compared favorably with both aspiration and open-biopsy success rates reported by others, and was accompanied by a 1 per cent complication rate, mostly neural and mostly in association with vertebral lesions.