Chondroblastoma: a rare cause of femoral neck fracture in a teenager.
Chondroblastomas usually present in the epiphyseal region of bones in skeletally immature patients. These uncommon, benign tumors are usually treated with curettage and use of a bone-void filler. Here we report a case of a hip fracture secondary to an underlying chondroblastoma in a 19-year-old woman. Open biopsy with intraoperative frozen section pointed toward a diagnosis of chondroblastoma. Extended curettage was performed, followed by cryotherapy with a liquid nitrogen gun and filling of the defect with calcium phosphate bone substitute. The femoral neck fracture was stabilized with a sliding hip screw construct. The patient progressed well and continued to regain functional status. A final pathology report confirmed the lesion to be a chondroblastoma. Clinicians should have heightened awareness of a pathologic lesion in a young person presenting with a femoral neck fracture and should consider the uncommon differential diagnosis that the lesion is located in the greater trochanter apophysis.
Department of Orthopaedics, Doctors Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Michael D
MD
Paloski
Michael J
MJ
Griesser
Mark E
ME
Jacobson
Thomas J
TJ
Scharschmidt
D001706:Biopsy; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D001863:Bone Screws; D002804:Chondroblastoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000293:injuries*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D055815:Young Adult