A Novel Technique for Bone Cyst Aspiration and Injection: CT-guided Single-Needle Technique As a Successful Alternative to The Classic Two-Needle Approach

Background: Simple bone cysts (SBCs) are common benign lytic lesions in children and adolescents. Percutaneous simple bone cyst aspiration and steroid injection under computed tomography guidance is a well-known treatment method performed using a double-needle technique (DNT). We herein evaluated the utility of an alternative single-needle technique (SNT) in bone cyst aspiration/injection. Methods: Data of 23 subjects who had undergone bone cyst aspiration and injection between January 2010 and December 2022 were retrieved from our archive. Twelve patients who were treated using SNT were compared with eleven patients who underwent DNT (control group). The demographic profiles and plain radiography data at baseline and within 24 months following treatment were reviewed. Radiological healing was assessed according to the modified Neer classification system. Fisher’s exact test was performed to analyze the association between the procedure type and the outcome. Results: The mean follow-up duration of all patients subjected to SNT was 11 months after the first intervention. The same procedure was repeated twice in four patients and three times in one patient. The cysts were healed or healed with defects in seven patients and remained persistent in five patients. After the second intervention, eight cysts were successfully treated. None of the cysts recurred or progressed following treatment. A comparable response rate was recorded in the control group after the first and second interventions. No statistically significant difference was observed between SNT and DNT. Conclusions: Percutaneous bone cyst aspiration and injection using SNT is effective, less invasive, and less time-consuming than classic DNT with comparable outcomes.