Treatment of Unicameral Bone Cysts Utilizing the Sclerograft™ Technique.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the Sclerograft™ procedure, which is an image-guided, minimally invasive approach of chemical sclerotherapy followed by bone grafting of unicameral bone cysts (UBC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective evaluation from August 2018 through August 2023 was performed at a single institution on patients that underwent the Sclerograft™ procedure for UBCs. Radiographic healing was evaluated utilizing the Modified Neer Classification. Two different regenerative grafts, CaSO4 -CaPO4 and HA-CaSO4 were utilized. A total of 50 patients were evaluated with 41 patients grafted with CaSO4 -CaPO4 and 9 patients grafted with HA-CaSO4 .

RESULTS: The average age of the patient was 12.1 years with an average radiographic follow-up of 14.5 months. Average cyst size was 5.5 cm in the largest dimension and average cyst volume was 20.2 cc. 42 out of 50 (84%) showed healed cysts (Modified Neer Class 1) on the most recent radiograph or MRI. Recurrences occurred on average at 7.2 months. Activity restrictions were lifted at 3-4.5 months post-procedure. Cyst stratification by size did not show a difference in recurrence rates (p = 0.707). There was no significant difference in recurrence rate between lesions abutting the physis compared to those that were not abutting the physis (p = 0.643). There were no major complications.

CONCLUSIONS: The Sclerograft™ procedure is an image-guided approach to treating unicameral bone cysts, utilizing chemical sclerosis and regenerative bone grafting. The radiographic healing of cysts compares favorably to open curettage and grafting as determined utilizing previously published trials.