Primary bone tumours of the hand and wrist.

Primary bone tumours are rare in the hand and wrist. This 34-year survey of the Leeds Regional Bone Tumour Registry reveals 80 such tumours, representing 3.9% of the total number of bone tumours in the registry. The large majority of these tumours were benign (86%), and were found predominantly in younger patients. Malignant lesions were found more frequently in older patients. 61% of tumours were found in the metacarpals and proximal phalanges. Two-thirds of patients (67.5%) presented with features of swelling, either with or without pain. We conclude that the information gathered from Bone Tumour Registries is of value in describing tumour characteristics, where such information could not be gathered by personal experience alone.