Comparative anatomic study of anterior and posterior iliac crests as donor sites

Ten fixed human cadaver iliums from elderly persons were studied to compare the amounts of graft material present in the anterior and posterior ilium. Average intracortical volume of surgically accessible marrow space was 15.75 mL for the anterior and 39.24 mL for the posterior ilium. Comparison of marrow volume underlying equal surface areas revealed values of 8.4 mL for the anterior and 14.8 mL for the posterior ilium. The average total volume of compressed cancellous bone obtained was 12.87 mL for the anterior and 30.31 mL for the posterior ilium. The ratio of cortical bone window surface area to resultant immediately accessible graft material was 1:0.49 for the anterior and 1:0.75 for the posterior ilium. These results confirm the greater availability of cancellous bone in the posterior ilium.