Steroid injection of a unicameral bone cyst of the calcaneus: literature review and two case reports

Abstract

Two interesting cases are presented, describing the diagnosis and treatment of unicameral bone cysts of the calcaneus. The first case report presents a patient who had a 5-month history of a painful right heel. The pain had been getting progressively worse and was aggravated by prolonged walking and physical activity. The second case report presents a patient whose unicameral bone cyst was discovered as a relatively incidental finding on radiographs; however, the patient later admitted that he had mild tenderness upon the plantar-lateral aspect of his right calcaneus with weightbearing. The authors reviewed the literature concerning the etiology and treatment of unicameral bone cysts. Attention is directed to the use of injectable steroid as an alternative means to open surgical intervention. Certain potential problems exist, in spite of the various surgical approaches utilized, including infection, postoperative fracture, recurrence, immobilization, and prolonged hospitalization.