Fluid Pressure May Lead to Subchondral Bone Cyst Development via Mechanoregulated Bone Remodeling Available to Purchase

Ankle trauma associated with an osteochondral defect (OD) of the talus often leads to subchondral bone cysts (Fig. 1, left). These cysts are associated with persistent ankle pain, thereby limiting the patients’ mobility [1]. Histology suggests that bone cyst development may occur in different stages, since some cysts are found to contain fluid, while others contain soft tissues. In addition, talar cysts may grow or shrink in time, and develop a sclerotic rim. The exact mechanism behind the development of talar cysts is unclear, but it has been proposed that fluid intrusion from the joint space through the OD plays a key role [1,2]. Pressurization of this fluid may have an osteolytic effect on the surrounding bone, thereby enlarging the cyst cavity.