Introduction/Objective. Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC), simple bone cysts (SBC), and non-ossifying fibromas (NOF) are common in children. The standard treatment is curettage with defect filling. The graft selection and surgical approach vary according to the lesion type. While synthetic ?- tricalcium phosphate (?-TCP) is a biocompatible graft, its efficacy in pediatric cases remains unclear. This study assessed radiographic healing, graft integration, complications, and recurrence rates after curettage and ?-TCP grafting. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 63 patients (23 ABC, 21 SBC, 19 NOF) treated at a pediatric hospital from 2015-2023. All underwent intralesional curettage with ?-TCP grafting. Healing was assessed using Wu, modified Irwin, and Neer criteria. The stable healing time, recurrence, complications, and morphometric predictors were also analyzed. Results. Radiographic healing rates were 73.9% for ABC, 85.7% for SBC, and 100% for NOF. Stable healing occurred at 13.5 ? 5.7 months for ABC and approximately 8.7-8.8 months for SBC and NOF (p = 0.0004). ABC healed more slowly and inconsistently; larger and relation length ratio lesions delayed healing in both ABC and SBC. Recurrence was observed in 26% of ABC cases (mean 16.7 months), 14% of SBC cases (mean 13.8 months), and none in NOF. Conclusion. ?-TCP grafting is safe and effective for pediatric benign bone lesions; however, healing varies by lesion type. ABC requires longer monitoring due to a higher recurrence risk; SBC mostly stabilizes within a year; and NOF reliably remodels regardless of size. Focusing on follow-up of high-risk lesions may improve outcomes and reduce unnecessary interventions.
Bojović et al. (Thu,) studied this question.