Autografts in the treatment of osseous defects in the forearm and hand

Twenty-one patients were treated for large defects of the forearm or hand with autografts. Seventeen of the grafts were cortico-cancellous, three were hemiarticular, and one was a hemi joint replacement at each end of the graft. None of these cases involved the whole joint or the growth plate. Cancellous grafts used to fill bone cavities or repair pseudarthroses were excluded from the survey. Patients were followed from 3 to 10 years. In all cases the graft became incorporated and function was maintained. In two cases a second operation was necessary to apply further cancellous graft because of delayed union.