Orthopaedic Case of the Month: Recurrent Thigh Pain in a 44-Year-Old Man

Excerpt

A 44-year-old man presented with progressively worsening left thigh pain of 8 years’ duration. The patient’s medical history was significant for a diagnosis of osteoid osteoma of the left femur treated elsewhere 24 years previously. At that time, the patient underwent open incisional biopsy (Fig. 1), curettage, and autogenous iliac crest bone grafting without stabilization. The patient had no complications after surgery and was in good health until 8 years before this visit when he began to experience intermittent left thigh pain which gradually increased in frequency and severity. By the time the patient presented to us, he described a dull pain present most of the time punctuated by intermittent sharp pain. The patient could not identify any particular palliative or provocative factors for the pain. Acetaminophen provided minimal relief. He had experienced some decrease in his energy level but denied any fevers, chills, night sweats, skin changes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, unintentional weight loss, or decrease in appetite.

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