Extended Curettage for Local Control of Chondromyxoid Fibroma: A 33-Year Experience at a Single Tertiary Center.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The management of chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) primarily relies on surgical resection, but simple curettage is reportedly associated with a high local recurrence rate. While extended curettage with high-speed burring effectively manages other locally aggressive bone tumors, its effectiveness for CMF remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the outcome of this technique for CMF. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 31 CMF patients treated at a single tertiary academic hospital between 1990 and 2023. Demographics and treatment details were collected. The primary outcome was local recurrence-free survival for the patients who underwent extended curettage and had follow-up for more than 6 months. The secondary outcome was complications. RESULTS: The median age was 41 (IQR, 18-47), and 61% were male. Of the total 31 patients, 26 underwent extended curettage with high-speed burring, while five underwent en bloc resection. No local recurrence occurred in either group. Among the extended curettage group, 21 had a follow-up of more than 6 months (median follow-up: 37 months [IQR, 18-58 months]), only one complication (symptomatic hardware removal) was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Extended curettage with high-speed burring was associated with excellent local control and few complications, making it a desirable surgical option for CMF.