Anterior lumbar discectomy: a study of iliac and fibular bone graft

The author studied the iliac and fibular autogenous bone grafts in anterior lumbar discectomy for herniated disc of 29 patients. They were examined 2 1/2 to 8 years postoperatively. Iliac numbness was found in 4 of 15 patients (26.7%) and fibular pain was found in one of 14 patients (7.1%). For functional result, iliac and fibular graft were found excellent in 86.6 and 92.9 per cent respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in proportion of patients experiencing discomfort at donor site or in the functional result between iliac and fibular grafts.