ENDOSCOPIC MANAGEMENT OF BENIGN BONE-TUMORS

The standard operative procedure for benign bone tumours is curettage and autogenous bone grafting, with or without artificial materials (i. e. hydroxyapatite ceramics) under direct visualisation, necessitating a wide skin incision. If benign bone tumours are treated endoscopicall y, as in joint surgery or extra-articular surgery (e.g, carpal tunnel release or subacromial decompression), a wide skin incision is not nec essary. Since June 1991, we have treated benign bone tumours endoscopi cally through 1-3 small skin incisions, even when they were located in the pelvis or femoral head. Bone tumours were clearly observed and en ough information was obtained to perform biopsies and operations using the Universal Subcutaneous Endoscope (USE) system. 13 benign bone tum ours have been successfully treated using the USE system alone or in c ombination with a standard arthroscope. We conclude that benign bone t umours may be successfully biopsied and operated on endoscopically, wi th less stressful surgical invasion than in standard open operations. This paper reports our operative procedure and long-term follow-up res ults of the world's first endoscopic management of benign bone tumours .