We believe that surgical resection and RFA provide equally effective treatment outcomes for patients with foot and ankle OOs. The major contraindication to RFA is anatomical proximity (<1.5 cm) to a major neurovascular bundle. Theoretically, articular cartilage can be damaged during RFA.21,25 To our knowledge, there have been no reported complications involving articular cartilage damage. However, surgeons should carefully measure the distance from lesion to articular cartilage and select the treatment option that will cause the least amount of damage to the cartilage.
Two limitations of this study are its retrospective nature and relatively small number of patients. As all the lesions in the study were treated surgically or with RFA, we are unable to comment on the natural history of untreated foot and ankle OOs. Although there were no recurrences, late recurrence is possible with longer follow-up. However, we think this study will not only increase familiarity with the imaging features of OOs involving the bones of the foot and ankle, but it will help clinicians formulate optimal treatment plans.
Overall, OOs are relatively common benign bone tumors, with limited reports of their occurrence in the foot and ankle. There should be a high index of suspicion for the diagnosis if a patient presents with the symptoms classically associated with the tumor, but in some cases the diagnosis can be challenging. Proper imaging is essential for prompt and accurate diagnosis.
