Epiphyseal chondroblastoma of bone. Long-term effects on skeletal growth and articular function in 15 cases treated surgically.

The authors describe the long-term sequelae of chondroblastoma in 15 patients with open growth plates, whose age at operation ranged from 8 to 15 years. At follow-up, the youngest patient was 21 and the oldest 48 years old. Upper limb length discrepancy ranging from 2 cm to 10 cm was present in the four patients who had a proximal humeral epiphyseal location; in three of them, the range of motion of the shoulder was also limited and X-rays showed marked irregularities of the humeral head. Lower limb length discrepancy ranging from 0.5 cm to 2 cm was found in five of the eight patients in whom the tumor affected lower limb epiphyses. One patient with proximal tibial epiphyseal involvement also had mild genu valgum. Radiographic osteoarthritis was present only in the trapeziometacarpal joint of a patient in whom the first metacarpal bone affected by the tumor was replaced by a free fibular graft. The abnormalities observed did not cause important functional loss in either the everyday or the working activities of any of our patients.