Rapid resorption of calcium sulfate and hardware failure following corrective radius osteotomy: 2 case reports

Bone substitutes are being increasingly used and may avert the need for autogenous bone graft in orthopedic surgery. Thus it is important to note complications that occur with them to better understand the limitations. We report on early mechanical failure of injectable calcium sulfate leading to implant failure in 2 elderly patients who had corrective osteotomies for malunited distal radius fractures. We hypothesize that these occurred because there was inadequate new bone formation to replace the resorbing bone substitute. We advise caution when using bone substitutes in patients with expected delayed fracture healing.