Chondroblastoma: A Rare Cause of Femoral Neck Fracture in a Teenager

Chondroblastomas usually present in the epiphyseal region of bones in skeletally immature patients. These uncommon, benign tumors are usually treated with curet­tage and use of a bone-void filler.

Here we report a case of a hip fracture secondary to an underlying chondroblastoma in a 19-year-old woman. Open biopsy with intraoperative frozen section pointed toward a diagnosis of chondroblastoma. Extended curet­tage was performed, followed by cryotherapy with a liquid nitrogen gun and filling of the defect with calcium phos­phate bone substitute. The femoral neck fracture was stabilized with a sliding hip screw construct. The patient progressed well and continued to regain functional sta­tus. A final pathology report confirmed the lesion to be a chondroblastoma.

Clinicians should have heightened awareness of a pathologic lesion in a young person presenting with a femoral neck fracture and should consider the uncom­mon differential diagnosis that the lesion is located in the greater trochanter apophysis.