Auto Bone Banking: Innovative Method for Bone Preservation

Bone grafting is an integral part of orthopaedic surgery; the use of bone graft is increasing consistently in traumatology and also in complex revision surgeries of hip and knee arthroplasties. Considering this fact there is a need for some way to find solution for a bone graft which has more osteoinduction, osteoconduction as well as osteogenecity and also reduced rates of graft rejection and transmission of infections. All these qualities are found in autogenous bone graft. We hereby put forward a innovative method of bone preservation by using patients own femoral head and preserving it in patients own iliac pouch and making it available for future use.

From 2008 to 2012, total 17 numbers of operated sides were included in this method; patients had femoral neck fracture, osteoarthritis or avascular necrosis of femoral head and who underwent either hemi or total hip arthroplasty. Intraoperatively the resected femoral head was preserved in iliac pouch on ipsilateral side. This integrates with the native bone and additional bone graft would be made available for future use. We did not get opportunity to use the stored auograft.

This is very innovative concept for preserving patient's autogenous femoral head for future use. As conventional allograft relies upon screening procedure for infections, proper storage facilities and are expensive.