FAIRFAX, Va. - Bone cysts are fairly common in growing children, sometimes causing intense pain or fractures. A new treatment at Inova Fairfax Hospital, however, is allowing patients to return to activity in just weeks and has produced positive results so far.

Zach Volpicelli (vole-pih-chel-ee), 15, broke his ankle last year. An X-ray revealed a cyst in his foot might have been partly to blame. His doctor knew the cyst was weakening his bone and could lead to another fracture, so his doctor decided to monitor it.

Recently, Zach began feeling intense pain and Dr. Felasfa Wodajo (fell-ahs-fa woah-dah-joe) decided it was time to take action. But instead of doing a bone graft or steroid injection that requires a lengthy recovery, Dr. Wodajo used a new treatment called bone cement.

"It allows my patients to return to their activities faster, procedure is quicker and end result more reliable," said Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Wodajo.

"We were happy to move forward because we knew we'd be taking the possibility of a catastrophic break off of the table," said Zach's mother, Debbie Volpicelli.

After cleaning out the cyst, Wodajo injected synthetic bone cement, which is made of calcium phosphate--a mineral found naturally in bones, into the hole. The cement is like silly putty but instantly begins to harden, and within 24 hours, it's solid and provides stability.

"I noticed right away walking that my heel felt more stable," Zach said.

Bone cysts most often affect children aged 5 to 15, and affects boys more than girls. They are considered benign, and sometimes heal on their own. But when the cyst leads to pain or fracture, doctors say bone cement is a good option for immediate stability until the cement is replaced with bone.

As a result of the procedure, Zach was back on the court within weeks, and he's thrilled that he doesn't have to worry anymore.

"I'm just happy we got it over with now, so it wouldn't come back to haunt me in later years," Zach added.

So far, about 2,000 patients have received the bone cement injection at Inova Fairfax Hospital. And of those, only two have seen their cysts return.

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