Vascularised pedicular bone grafts

When a massive free bone graft has to be incorporated into a large bone defect in the presence of a poor vascular recipient bed, the risks of absorption and failure of the graft to revascularise are high. Experimental studies have confirmed that a bone graft transferred to its recipient site with an intact pedicle of blood supply remains viable, and unites directly with the recipient bone without having to be revascularised and replaced by creeping substitution. It also provides a live bone bridge for reconstruction of a massive bone defect, and is a ready source of vascular osteogenic tissue which sprouts new outgrowths to revascularise avascular recipient bone. A vascularised bone graft can be raised on a pedicle of muscle attachment or a main axial vessel, but the mobility of the vascularised pediculated graft is limited by the length of its pedicle. The vascularised muscle-pedicle graft of the ipsilateral fibular shaft described by Chacha et al has been proved viable both in monkeys and in humans. The shaft is raised on a pedicle of the peroneal vessels and the peroneal and the anterior tibial muscles, and provides an excellent viable bone strut to bridge a large defect in the tibial shaft. Judet's quadratus femoris muscle-pedicle graft from the greater trochanter has proved superior to Phemister's tibial cortical or fibular strut graft for the treatment of non-union of the femoral neck and the silent-phase of avascular necrosis of the femoral head. The tensor fascia lata muscle-pedicle graft of the anterior iliac crest, described by Davies and Taylor, provides a good viable bone strut for anterior hip fusion and for filling defects in the acetabulum and the upper femur. The whole of the greater trochanter attached to a thick pedicle of the gluteal muscles can be used as a live extra-articular graft for hip fusion. A pedicular rib graft raised on its intercostal vessels, as described by Rose et al. and Bradford, is a very useful live bone strut for correction of kyphosis and grafting of infective lesions of the vertebral bodies. The cortical graft of the radius within the radial forearm skin flap for reconstruction of the thumb, the pronator quadratus muscle-pedicle graft of the lower radius for non-union of the scaphoid and avascular necrosis of the lunate, and the erector spinae muscle-pedicle graft of the posterior ilium for intertransverse fusion are new concepts which need to be evaluated for wider clinical application.