Use of a modified epidural catheter for analgesia after iliac crest bone procurement

Autogenous bone grafting is the gold standard procedure for various maxillofacial defects which needs surgical correction and anterior iliac crest is the most common site of harvest. Immediate postoperative pain at the harvested site is a major morbidity associated with it. The aim of the study was to assess the immediate postoperative pain control at the iliac crest graft harvested site by placing an epidural catheter in the incision wound and continuously infiltrating bupivacaine 0.25% at regular intervals.

Twenty patients requiring autogenous bone grafting for large maxillofacial defects were chosen for the study. They were divided randomly into two groups of ten each. Group 1 patients were placed with epidural catheter in the incision wound at iliac crest harvested site and group 2 patients did not receive epidural catheter. Continuous infiltration of long acting amide local anesthetic (Bupivacaine) was given to group 1 patients on the postoperative day. Both group 1 & group 2 patients received parenteral analgesic Diclofenac sodium 75mg intramuscularly. Pain at the iliac crest and maxillofacial area was assessed by VAS scale. Also the time of ambulation of the patient was noted. These variables were compared statistically.

The observed findings were statistically analyzed. Group 1 patients showed significant pain relief at the graft harvested site as compared to group 2 patients. Also the patients in group 1 were ambulated early as compared to group 2 patients.

It was concluded that by placing epidural catheter at the incision wound and continuously infiltrating with bupivacaine 0.25% at iliac crest harvested site at regular intervals effectively controls the immediate acute pain postoperatively and the patient can be ambulated and brought back to normal routine early.