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Lower limb ischaemia caused by fractured osteochondroma of the femur

Department of Radiology, Kansai Medical University, 10–15 Fumizono, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8507, Japan

Correspondence: N Tanigawa, Dept of Radiology, Kansai Medical University, 10–15 Fumizono, Osaka 570–8507, Japan. E-mail: tanigano{at}takii.kmu.ac.jp

Osteochondroma is the most common benign bone tumour and can arise in any bone. They frequently develop around the knee in the distal femur and the proximal tibia. These are usually asymptomatic, but can occasionally impinge on the surrounding vessels and cause various clinical manifestations. We have encountered a patient with multiple hereditary exostoses, in whom the osteochondroma located in the distal portion of the femur fractured as a result of an injury from a traffic accident. The migrated osteochondroma compressed the femoral artery and led to an acute onset of lower extremity ischaemia. Although trauma or vigorous exercise can cause vascular complications caused by osteochondroma, vascular insufficiency due to fracture of osteochondroma after a traumatic injury is extremely rare.