Donor site reconstruction in iliac crest tricortical bone graft: surgical technique
Jorge Gil-Albarova1, Raúl Gil-Albarova
1Servicio de Cirugía Ortopédica y Traumatología, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Avda. de Isabel la Católica 1-3, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. jgilalba@unizar.es
Background And Purpose:
Autogenous bone grafts from the iliac crest are frequently harvested for autologous bone transplantation, because this is still the gold standard in the treatment of many bone defects. However, significant donor site morbidity must be considered. We have developed a simple method to treat the bone defect in the donor site in order to reduce some of the morbidity. In this method, the bone defect size and shape determines its application.
Method:
After the conventional method of tricortical bone harvesting from the iliac crest, bone defect is repaired by means of a transversal fence of appropriate thin tricortical chips obtained from the posterior lateral wall of the bone defect itself. The mechanical stability of this fence results from impactation of the ends of the tricortical chips into both lateral cancellous bone walls of the repaired bone defect. Thus, no hardware is required, and both the bone defect and ilium contour are restored.
Results:
This simple method allows ilium bone defect healing and bone contour recovery after graft harvest, by using the same gold standard graft. Although not much time is necessary to reconstruct the donor site, the bone defect size and shape determine its application.
Interpretation:
This method may be a recommendable option for bone defect reconstruction after iliac crest tricortical bone graft harvest as the primary procedure. The advantages of this technique are bone defect healing and bone contour restoration with prevention of a visible deformity over the groin, with no foreign material insertion, thus avoiding additional cost.
