Extended Curettage for Local Control of Chondromyxoid Fibroma: A 33-Year Experience at a Single Tertiary Center.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

The management of chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) primarily relies on surgical resection, but simple curettage is reportedly associated with a high local recurrence rate. While extended curettage with high-speed burring effectively manages other locally aggressive bone tumors, its effectiveness for CMF remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the outcome of this technique for CMF.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 31 CMF patients treated at a single tertiary academic hospital between 1990 and 2023. Demographics and treatment details were collected. The primary outcome was local recurrence-free survival for the patients who underwent extended curettage and had follow-up for more than 6 months. The secondary outcome was complications.

RESULTS

The median age was 41 (IQR, 18-47), and 61% were male. Of the total 31 patients, 26 underwent extended curettage with high-speed burring, while five underwent en bloc resection. No local recurrence occurred in either group. Among the extended curettage group, 21 had a follow-up of more than 6 months (median follow-up: 37 months [IQR, 18-58 months]), only one complication (symptomatic hardware removal) was recorded.

CONCLUSIONS

Extended curettage with high-speed burring was associated with excellent local control and few complications, making it a desirable surgical option for CMF.