Effect of end-cutting intramedullary reamers on host-allograft contact area

Use of large allografts in the diaphyseal region can be complicated by nonunion of the host bone to the allograft. Increasing the contact area at this interface can help prevent this from happening. This study investigated the resulting contact area with use of end-cutting reamers to prepare the interface of host and allograft bone in the daiphyseal region, as compared with hand preparation using a sagittal saw. Using a sawbone model, it was demonstrated that the end-cutting reamers produced a significantly greater contact area, compared with hand-cutting techniques.