Osteoconductive bone substitutes as treatment of benign lytic lesions

Benign lytic lesions represent a frequent pathology in our clinic. Regarding therapy, we approach these benign tumors through curettage and filling the defects with bone grafting or bone substitutes like hydroxyapatite crystals and tricalcium phosphate. We want to evaluate the efficiency of both bone grafts and bone substitutes regarding bone consolidation, osseointegration and time until absorption for tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite crystals combination. We analyzed 14 patients treated in our clinic through curettage and defect filling during the last three years: 9 patients' beneficiated from bone grafting and for the other 5 we used a hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate combination from the same supplier. Diagnoses were bone cyst, non-ossifying fibroma and giant-cell tumor. Therapeutic method was linked with bone graft availability. Followup was 24 months through periodical x-ray controls in our clinic. Bone consolidation was satisfactory in all cases with no defect collapse. In conclusion, bone substitutes like combinations of hydroxyapatite crystals and tricalcium phosphate are a useful and safe method for surgical treatment of strictly benign lytic tumors.