Cambridge experience in spontaneous bone regeneration after traumatic segmental bone defect: a case series and review of literature

High-energy traumatic long bone defects are some of the most challenging to reconstruct. Although cases of spontaneous bone regeneration in these defects have been reported, we are aware of no management guidelines or recommendations for when spontaneous bone regeneration should be considered a viable management option. We aim to identify how certain patient characteristics and surgical factors may help predict spontaneous bone regeneration. A total of 26 cases with traumatic segmental defects were treated at our institution, with eight cases (30.8%) undergoing spontaneous regeneration. We discuss four in detail. Six (75%) reported a degree of periosteal preservation, four (50%) were associated with traumatic brain injury and none were complicated by infection. The average time to spontaneous bone regeneration was 2.06 months. According to our cases, patients with favourable characteristics may benefit from delaying surgical treatment by 6 weeks to monitor for any signs of spontaneous bone formation.