Unusual “Traction” Exostosis of the Femoral Diaphysis With Sciatic Nerve Compression

Femoral exostosis causing vastus medialis pain in an active young lady: a case report

BACKGROUND

Musculoskeletal conditions are a common reason for consultation to General Practitioners (GPs)/family physicians in primary care. Osteochondromas are the most common benign bone tumours and usually occur in the metaphyseal region of long bones. Despite the distal femur being the commonest location to find these benign bone tumours, this is the first case report in the literature specifically describing vastus medialis muscle pain as the presenting symptom due to underlying bursa formation secondary to local pressure effects.

CASE PRESENTATION

Twenty nine year old female of white British ethnic origin, presenting to a primary care clinic with a three year history of intermittent left distal medial thigh pain.

CONCLUSION

The benign bone tumour, femoral exostosis/osteochondroma, was diagnosed via Magnaetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and treated conservatively, with surgical excision an option if not resolving. GPs/family physicians need to be aware of this diagnosis and that femoral exostosis/osteochondroma can present to primary care physicians, particularly within the second decade of life.

Peripheral nerve injuries due to osteochondromas: analysis of 20 cases and review of the literature

Object

Nerve compressions due to osteochondromas are extremely rare. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the mechanisms, diagnostic evaluations, and treatment of nerve lesions due to osteochondromas, and to review the literature.

Methods

The authors retrospectively reviewed their clinic data archive from 1998 through 2008, and 20 patients who were operated on due to peripheral nerve injuries caused by osseous growth were enrolled in the study. Patients' age, duration of symptoms, localizations, intraoperative findings, and modified British Medical Research Council (MRC) and electromyography data obtained from hospital records were evaluated. The literature on this topic available in PubMed was also reviewed. All 20 patients underwent surgery, which consisted of tumor excision performed by orthopedic surgeons and nerve decompression performed by neurosurgeons.

Results

There were 17 men and 3 women included in the study, with a mean age of 21 years (range 18–25 years). Three patients had multiple hereditary exostoses, and 17 had a solitary exostosis. All of the patients underwent en bloc resection. The most common lesion site was the distal femur (45%). The peroneal and posterior tibial nerves were the structures that were affected the most frequently. The mean follow-up was 3.9 years (range 2–7 years). After the surgery, all patients (100%) experienced good sensory recovery (modified MRC Grade S4 or S5).

Conclusions

To the authors' knowledge, no large series have reported peripheral nerve compression due to exostoses. The authors have several recommendations as a result of their findings. First, all patients with peripheral nerve compression due to an osteochondroma should undergo surgery. Second, preoperative electromyographic examinations and radiographic evaluation, consisting of MRI and CT to provide optimal information about the lesion, are crucially important. Third, immediate treatment is mandatory to regain the best possible recovery. And fourth, performing nerve decompression first and en bloc resection of osteochondroma consecutively in a multidisciplinary fashion is strongly recommended to avoid peripheral nerve injury.