Giant cell tumor of bone.

Seventy-two cases of giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone were diagnosed in our clinic between 1986 and 1998. The mean age of the patients was 35 (range: 11 to 63 years) and the female to male ratio was 1.3:1. Fifty-four percent of the cases had involvement about the knee (distal femur, upper tibia, and upper fibula). Four patients had a malignant form of the disease and another four had the disease before closure of the physis. There was no case of multicentric involvement. Nine patients presented with pathological fracture. Forty-seven patients had histological grading done. Twenty three (49%) had grade I, 17 (36%) had grade II, and seven (15%) had grade III disease. The mean follow-up time was 59.6 months (range: 24 to 142 months) for patients at least two years follow-up. There was a 33% complication rate.