Unmasking Spinal Osteochondromas: A Comprehensive Review of an Enigmatic Entity

Abstract

Spinal osteochondromas are rare benign bone tumours that can cause significant morbidity through compression of spinal cord, nerve roots or major vascular structures. This review provides a comprehensive overview of spinal osteochondromas, covering incidence, prevalence, clinical presentation, management strategies, potential complications, aetiology and future research directions. Osteochondromas are more frequent in the cervical spine. Diagnosis is based on clinico-radiographic correlation using CT and MRI. Surgical treatment is indicated for symptomatic patients with pain and/or neurovascular deficits. When surgery is contemplated, complete resection of the mass along with the cartilaginous cap is essential to minimize recurrence. The outcome of surgical treatment is generally favourable but it tends to be less favourable for thoracic osteochondromas. Future research maybe focused on understanding the genetic factors predisposing to osteochondroma formation, identifying and developing targeted therapies to prevent growth and recurrence.