Whole body

What It Is

An enchondroma is a type of benign (non-cancerous) tumour that begins in the cartilage found inside the bones (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.). These tumours usually begin and grow during childhood, then stop growing once the skeleton is mature and remain present in adult life (Boston Children's Hospital, n.d.). Enchondromas can occur in anyone but are most common in middle-aged people (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.). Because they rarely cause symptoms, they are often only discovered in adulthood, when an X-ray is taken for another reason (Boston Children's Hospital, n.d.; American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

Enchondroma Anatomy

These tumours are quite common and tend to appear in the small bones of the hands and feet. In fact, enchondroma is the most common bone tumour of the hand. They can also occur in the long bones, such as the thigh bone (femur), shin bone (tibia) and upper arm bone (humerus) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.). Most enchondromas are single tumours. In rare cases, several tumours appear as part of a condition such as Ollier disease or Maffucci syndrome (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

A single enchondroma rarely becomes cancerous, though the chance is a little higher in Ollier disease and Maffucci syndrome. When an enchondroma does become cancerous, it usually turns into a type of cartilage cancer called a chondrosarcoma. Telling the difference between a benign enchondroma and a very low-grade cancerous tumour can be difficult, even for an orthopaedic tumour surgeon (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

Not a diagnosis — for more information, contact me or another trusted healthcare provider.

Treatment

Self-Care & Treatment

How Enchondromas Are Managed

1. Monitoring

Most of the time, enchondromas don't need any treatment (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.). If the tumour isn't causing symptoms, your doctor may recommend keeping an eye on it with periodic X-rays or other tests to check that it isn't changing. Most doctors believe that tumours that cause no symptoms do not need to be removed (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

Treatment of tumours that look like simple enchondromas on X-ray but are painful can be debated, even among surgeons: some recommend surgery, while others recommend monitoring with regular X-rays (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

If you've had surgery or a fracture, I can help with your recovery once your medical team has cleared you. See the My Approach tab for how I work.

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Options outside my scope

Imaging tests: X-rays, and sometimes CT, MRI or bone scans, help your doctor confirm that the tumour is an enchondroma and not a more aggressive tumour (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
Biopsy: a small sample of the tumour may be taken and examined under a microscope to rule out a more aggressive tumour (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
Curettage: an operation in which the surgeon scrapes the tumour out of the bone and may fill the space with a bone graft or another material. Once removed, most enchondromas do not come back. If the tumour has caused the bone to break, the fracture is usually allowed to heal first (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
Removal of a cancerous tumour: tumours that have destroyed bone or have a mass growing outside the bone are usually chondrosarcomas, and these need to be removed completely. The type of operation depends on the grade of the tumour (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

If you have any of these treatments, follow your medical team's own instructions on recovery.

How I can help (see the My Approach tab)

Easing areas that work harder while a hand or foot is protected
Scar work after surgery, once healed
Gentle movement and strength work once you're cleared

Tips

Enchondromas usually appear in the hands and feet. Tumours in the hands or feet, or multiple tumours, can weaken and deform the bone (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
An enchondroma is usually painless (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
Possible signs include bone deformity, enlarged fingers and a bone that breaks with little force (a pathologic fracture) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
Pain at night or at rest is more likely to be a sign of a cancerous tumour, so see your family doctor or nurse practitioner if you have bone pain like this (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
Pain is a common symptom of many other conditions and injuries, so your doctor will need to carry out a thorough assessment to work out what is causing it (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
Further investigation by your doctor is always recommended to accurately diagnose the condition.

Treatment

My Approach

Your doctor and, if needed, an orthopaedic surgeon lead the care of an enchondroma. I can help with stiffness and weakness after a fracture or surgery. I work inside your medical team's limits, and after surgery, or a fracture that was treated surgically or stops normal daily activities, I need their okay before any hands-on treatment.

Please bring any X-ray or scan reports and notes from your medical team to your first visit. They're an important part of planning safe treatment for you.

I start by asking what your team has advised, then assessing how the nearby joints move and your strength.

While the Bone Is Protected

Work on areas working overtime: the forearm, shoulder and neck if you're protecting a hand, or the other leg, back and shoulders if you're on crutches
Gentle lymphatic drainage for swelling, and raising the hand or foot when you can
Gentle movement of nearby joints your team allows
No firm pressure or joint mobilisation over the affected bone

Once You're Cleared

Scar work once the wound has fully healed
Hands-on work and gentle stretching for stiffness
Strengthening, building to full weight-bearing and normal activities at the pace your team agrees

Pain at night or at rest needs checking by your family doctor or nurse practitioner.

What to Expect

Typical Course

Typical course: Once you're cleared, most people come once or twice a week at first, then weekly, then less often, with a reassessment at about 4 to 6 weeks. Recovery follows your medical team's plan; after curettage or a fracture, the bone usually takes a few months to heal and regain its strength.

What I Focus On

Working Within Your Team's Limits

Compensation Relief

Swelling Control

Scar & Joint Mobility

Graded Strength

Sources

References

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (n.d.) Enchondroma. OrthoInfo. Available at: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/enchondroma/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Boston Children's Hospital (n.d.) Chondromas. Available at: https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/c/chondromas (Accessed: 7 October 2026).

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooEnchondroma

What It Is

Enchondroma Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

How Enchondromas Are Managed

1. Monitoring

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

While the Bone Is Protected

Once You're Cleared

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Book a session

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooEnchondroma

What It Is

Enchondroma Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

How Enchondromas Are Managed

1. Monitoring

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

While the Bone Is Protected

Once You're Cleared

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Anterior Wedge Fracture to the Vertebra

Bone Tumor

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Book a session