Diagnosis and Treatment of Intraosseous Ganglion in the Ankle Region.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of intraosseous ganglion cyst in the ankle region.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on the diagnosis and treatment of 18 patients with intraosseous ganglion in the ankle region from January 2005 to March 2016. There were 11 males and 7 females, with an average age of 40.4 years (22-74 years). Thirteen of these had mild intermittent localized pain in the ankle and five were asymptomatic and fortuitously found on images. According to the location of the intraosseous ganglion cyst, nine were located in the distal end of tibia, seven were in the distal end of the fibula, and two were in the talus. After curettage of intraosseous ganglion, 15 cases were filled with autogenous iliac bone and 3 cases with artificial bone.

RESULTS

Fifteen cases were diagnosed with radiographs and CT scans, two cases with MR images, and one case was confirmed by postoperative pathology. The cyst contents were jelly-like material with sclerotic bone margins. The mean size of the intraosseous ganglion cyst was 1.5 cm × 1.5 cm × 1 cm. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of the tissue showed fibrous tissue, collagenous fiber, mucoid, and a few fibroblasts. Eighteen cases were followed up for 11 months to 10 years, with an average of 5.4 years. No recurrence was found. Sixteen patients were asymptomatic after surgery. Two cases of ankle pain occurred at 1 year and 6 months postoperatively, respectively. According to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scale, the mean AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score improved from 78.2 ± 13.7 points preoperatively to 97.3 ± 4.5 points at the final follow-up.

CONCLUSION

For the intraosseous ganglion cyst in the ankle region, whether there are clinical symptoms or not, the cyst should be curettaged and the cavity should be filled with bone graft. The operation result is satisfactory.