Abstract
This is a retrospective review of 24 cases of simple bone cysts of the humerus as seen and treated at the authers' institution from 1966 to 1991. The subjects comprised of 18 males and 6 females, ranging in age from 4 to 47 years. The average duration of follow-up was 27 months, ranging from 3 to 85 months.
Twenty cases of them were treated with the curettage and packing of the cavity with bone grafts. Two patients were treated with steroid injections.
The rate of recurrence were 20% in the surgery and none in the injection of steroids. Two of the 16 cases complicated with pathological fracture were observed their natural healing process. One of them healed completely, but the other incompletely.
We concleded as follows,
1) The cases with the pathological fractures may be treated conservatively up to two months, we expect natural healing because it is able to limit ADL in cases of humeral bone cysts. In other words, observation of their natural healing is necessary. If the lesion isn't healed, steroid injection is performed.
2) The cases without pathological fractures are treated with steroid injection for children and with an operation for adults.
