Treatment of a calcaneal unicameral bone cyst by percutaneous CT-guided cement injection using a double-needle technique: A case report

Abstract

Simple bone cysts (SBCs) are benign cavitary lesions that most commonly affect adolescent males in the first 2 decades of life. They are mainly asymptomatic but can manifest with pain or pathological fractures. Despite numerous proposed methods for managing calcaneal SBCs, the optimal approach toward these lesions remains controversial. Herein, we report a case of a 16-year-old girl with a calcaneal SBC. On local examination, tenderness was the only noteworthy sign. In an outpatient setting, under conscious sedation, 2 interosseous needles were simultaneously inserted into the cyst under the guidance of CT fluoroscopy. Without aspiration, a radiopaque bone cement mixture was injected into the cyst from 1 needle until serosanguineous fluid efflux from the second needle ceased. Over a 2-year follow-up period, the patient recovered without any complications. This novel technique has the potential to be used as a feasible and minimally invasive approach in the management of symptomatic unicameral calcaneal bone cysts.

Keywords

• Simple bone cyst
• Calcaneal cyst
• Cement injection
• Minimally invasive treatment
• Interventional radiology