Giant-cell tumor of bone seems to occur more frequently in Chinese
people than in those residing in Western countries. The estimated incidence
is about 20 per cent of all primary tumors of bone. Of 208 surgically
treated and pathologically proved giant-cell tumors, 194 were benign. We
excluded patients with primary or secondary amputation unrelated to
recurrence and those followed for less than two years or lost to follow-up.
Of the remaining 111 patients who were followed for more than two years,
twenty-nine had a recurrence, giving a recurrence rate of 26.1 per cent.
The rate of recurrence was highest following curettage and bone-grafting
(41.2 per cent) and was much lower in patients who were treated by
resection and fusion (7.1 per cent). Since resection of this tumor with
reconstructive procedures, either by massive homogenous bone-grafting or
artificial joint replacement, is complicated and might cripple the patient
if it fails, we propose excision and curettage with bone-grafting as the
most suitable method of treatment in the majority of patients with
giant-cell tumor of bone.