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Anterior iliac crest bone graft. Anatomic considerations
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, USA.
Spine
|April 15, 1997
Summary
The iliac tubercle offers the thickest bone for grafts, providing a suitable area for harvesting. This study defines optimal bone graft harvesting sites on the anterior iliac crest.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Anterior iliac crest bone grafts are common but carry risks like stress fractures.
- Existing literature lacks detailed morphology of the anterior ilium for optimal graft harvesting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To anatomically characterize the anterior ilium.
- To identify the optimal region for harvesting iliac bone grafts from the anterior iliac crest.
Main Methods:
- Morphologic study of 30 dried and 10 cadaveric human pelves.
- Direct measurements of anterior ilium thickness and bicortical graft length using digital calipers.
Main Results:
- The iliac tubercle is the thickest region (18.9 +/- 2.3 mm), 45% thicker than a point 3 cm posterior to the anterior superior iliac spine.
- The optimal thick bone region extends 54.0 +/- 10.2 mm posteriorly from 3 cm posterior to the anterior superior iliac spine.
- A 10 mm thick bicortical graft from the iliac tubercle averages 36.8 +/- 8.7 mm in length.
Conclusions:
- The area surrounding the iliac tubercle is ideal for harvesting bicortical or tricortical bone grafts.
- This finding aids in selecting safer and more effective iliac bone graft donor sites.