Surgical treatment of solitary bone cysts.

A special method of subperiosteal segmental resection is described as an operative treatment for solitary bone cysts in long bones. This procedure exploits the high osteogenetic potency of the periosteum in adolescence. An autogenous or homologous fibula bone graft locked between the ends of the cyst serves to maintain the length of the bone fragments and acts as a guiding rod for continued subperiosteal new bone formation. There is full reconstruction of bone stability and function at both the cyst region and the donor region (fibula).