Arthroscopic Management of Juxta-articular Proximal Humeral Chondroblastoma: The Bazooka Technique

Chondroblastoma is a rare benign cartilaginous lesion located mostly in the epiphyses of the long bones. The most common locations are the proximal tibia or femur, distal femur, and proximal humerus. Open curettage and bone grafting constitute the mainstay treatment for this condition. Few reports have documented the use of arthroscopy in tumor surgery owing to the problem of inadequate removal and the difficulty of bone graft delivery to the tumor cavity. The bazooka technique should solve these 2 main problems. In this article, arthroscopic curettage and grafting are described for the treatment of juxta-articular proximal humeral chondroblastoma to lessen postoperative pain and thus enable early mobilization and a quicker rehabilitation in skeletally immature patients.

Automated summary

Chondroblastoma is a rare benign cartilaginous lesion mainly found in the epiphyses of long bones. Open curettage and bone grafting are the main treatment methods, as the use of arthroscopy is rare due to incomplete removal and difficulty in bone graft delivery. This article describes the use of arthroscopic curettage and grafting for juxta-articular proximal humeral chondroblastoma, aiming to reduce postoperative pain and enable early mobilization and rehabilitation.