Bone Grafts Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Bone Grafts, including details on spine fusion, surgery, procedure, risks.

In scaphoid non-union, does the source of graft affect outcome? Iliac crest versus distal end of radius bone graft.

Tambe AD, Cutler L, Murali SR, Trail IA, Stanley JK

Wrightington Hospital, Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Trust, Wigan, UK. anant_tambe@yahoo.com

Iliac crest bone grafts are sometimes preferred to other bone grafts for the treatment of non-unions of fractures of the scaphoid as they are claimed to have better osteogenic potential and biomechanical properties. We retrospectively studied a consecutive cohort of 68 symptomatic established scaphoid non-unions treated by bone grafting. An iliac crest graft was used in 44 cases and a distal radius graft in the other 24. The two treatment groups were comparable in terms of location of the fracture, duration of the non-union and the fixation implants used. Overall union was achieved in 45 of the 68 patients (66%) and the union rate was not influenced by the type of bone graft used. Twenty-nine of the 44 treated with iliac crest bone graft (66%) and 16 of the 24 (67%) treated with distal radial graft united. Donor site pain over the iliac crest was present in nine of the 44 patients in this group.

Published 17 January 2006 in J Hand Surg [Br], 31(1): 47-51.
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