Bone Lesions

A bone lesion is an area of abnormal or damaged tissue on one of your bones. “Lesion” is a broad term healthcare providers use to mean any spot that’s damaged or changed.

A bone lesion can be an unusual growth, a section that doesn’t form like it should or a damaged area.

Lots of injuries and health conditions can affect your bones and cause lesions. A healthcare provider will help you understand which type of lesion you have, why it happened and if you’ll need treatment.

Types of bone lesions

There are several types of bone lesions, including:

• Tumors: Tumors are growths of abnormal cells. They can be cancerous or benign. Bone cancer can start in your bones or spread there from somewhere else in your body. There are many kinds of benign bone tumors. They’re also known as neoplasms.
• Metabolic bone diseases: These lesions develop because of conditions that affect how your bone tissue forms. These include common conditions like osteopenia and osteoporosis.
• Damage from injuries or other health conditions: Anything that damages your bones can lead to a lesion. This includes fractures, bone bruises and bone spurs. But these kinds of lesions can also happen because of conditions like bone infections, osteonecrosis and sarcoidosis.

Symptoms of bone lesions

Not all bone lesions cause symptoms. But they can if they’re big enough, or if they weaken your affected bone.

If you do have symptoms, they may include:

• Bone pain: This usually feels like a dull ache deep inside your body.
• Weakness: It might be hard to put weight on that bone. Or it may break more easily than usual.
• Swelling: You may notice swelling around a bone. There may also be a lump you can see or feel.

Bone lesion causes

Anything that damages your bones or affects how they develop can cause bone lesions, including:

• Cancer
• Genetic disorders
• Infections
• Conditions that cause inflammation
• Metabolic conditions
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Traumas, like falls, accidents and sports injuries
• Vascular diseases

Complications of bone lesions

Some bone lesions can irritate or injure nearby nerves, muscles or connective tissues. Lesions may also increase your fracture risk.

Cancerous tumors can also spread from your bones to other body parts if treatment doesn’t stop them. This can be life-threatening.

How doctors diagnose bone lesions

A healthcare provider will use imaging tests to take pictures of your bones and the area around them, including:

• X-rays
• CT scans
• MRI scans
• Bone scans

These tests will show lesions and other injuries.

You may also need a biopsy. Your provider will remove a sample of your bone and send it to a lab for testing.

Your provider will classify the lesion by its appearance. They might describe it as:

• Lytic: This happens when your bone is weakened or depleted. It might look thin and porous. There might be an indent or a hole in the bone.
• Sclerotic: This is an area of bone that’s denser or harder than usual. It can happen as a reaction to an injury or inflammation.
• Well-defined: A well-defined bone lesion has an easy-to-see outline. This means it’s contained to that area.
• Ill-defined: This means the lesion has hazy borders and might be spreading. Cancers and infections are possible causes.

Other clues that may help your provider identify the type of bone lesion you have include:

• Its location
• If it affects the periosteum that covers your bone
• Your age

Bone lesion treatments

You might not need treatment for a bone lesion. Some lesions heal on their own. Others might need to be monitored for possible complications. Your healthcare provider will suggest follow-up scans or tests to make sure the lesion is healing correctly.

If you do need treatment, your provider may suggest:

• Medications: Medications can relieve pain, manage symptoms or treat a specific cause. Your provider may prescribe medicines that strengthen your bones or prevent tissue loss.
• Surgery: A surgeon can remove the lesion and repair damage in or around your bone. They can also strengthen your bone if it’s weakened.
• Chemotherapy: Your provider might suggest chemo to treat cancer.
• Radiation therapy: This can stop lesions like tumors from spreading. You might need radiation along with chemo for some types of bone cancer.

What can I expect after treatment for a bone lesion?

Your recovery time and the treatment’s success rate can vary widely. It depends on which type of bone lesion you have. Your healthcare provider will help you understand what to expect. They’ll be your best resource for information about your specific case.

Your provider or other members of your healthcare team will schedule follow-up appointments to check on your bones and overall health. Some types of bone lesions can come back after treatment.