Treatment of solitary bone cysts by diaphysectomy and bone grafting

Total diaphysectomy and grafting for solitary bone cysts would appear to produce considerably less recurrence than is found after simple curettage of the lesion and grafting. Three patients with solitary bone cysts, one a primary lesion of the upper humerus and two recurrent lesions involving the intertrochanteric regions, were successfully treated by radical excision of the cyst-bearing region and bone grafting. The operative technique is described as well as the measures taken to prevent discrepancy in limb length or angular deformity ensuing in lesions involving weight-bearing bones such as the femur.