Unicameral bone cysts--comparison between surgical and steroid injection treatment.

Two series of 20 patients each with unicameral bone cysts were compared, one treated before 1975 by curettage and bone grafting and the other treated after 1975 with methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) injections. At follow-up, the majority of patients were at the end of skeletal growth. In the MPA-treated series, the average age of the patients at diagnosis was 9.1 years, whereas the average age at follow-up was 16.7 years. The average follow-up interval was 7 years. The steroid-treated series had better radiographic final results than the surgically treated series, with a lower recurrence rate. The number of MPA injections required to heal the lesion ranged from one to six, with 70% of the patients requiring a maximum of three injections. Steroid injection treatment should be preferred to surgical treatment for the better final results, for the virtual absence of complications, and for the greater simplicity of execution and postoperative care.