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Osteochondroma is a benign tumor that occurs in areas of bone and cartilage. Tumors are most often found in the long bones, especially near the knee or shoulder. Lesion can either be sessile or pedunculated.
Osteochondroma, or osteocartilaginous exostosis, is the most common skeletal neoplasm. The cartilage capped subperiosteal bone projection accounts for 20-50% of benign bone tumors and 10-15% of all bone tumors.Osteochondromas are most likely caused by either a congenital defect or trauma of the perichondrium which results in the herniation of a fragment of the epiphyseal growth plate through the periosteal bone cuff. Osteochondromas can either be flattened (sessile) or stalk-like (exostosis) and appear in a juxta-epiphyseal location. Osteochondromas are also the result of radiation therapy in children. After the close of the growth plate in late adolescence there is normally no further growth of the osteochondroma.
Clinically, osteochondromas present with pain due to mechanical irritation or a painless mass. A fracture can occur through the stalk of the lesion which also causes pain.