title: Morbidity at the iliac crest donor site following bone grafting of the cleft alveolus.
abstract: We retrospectively analysed all cases of iliac crest bone graft harvest for secondary grafting of the cleft alveolus during an 11-year period. The case notes were reviewed and postal questionnaires sent to all patients. Of 73 consecutive patients, 57 (78%) were male, and the mean (S.D.) age at operation was 10 (1) years. A completed questionnaire was received from 72 patients (99%). The median stay in hospital was 3 days (range 2-5). The median time until the child could walk "normally" was 7 days (range 0-56). Thirty-seven patients (51%) had a postoperative limp, which resolved after a median of 7 days (range 3-56). There were two (3%) superficial donor site infections. The median length of scar was 60mm (range 40-100) and patient satisfaction was high, with a median visual analogue scale of 9/10 (range 2-10). Harvesting bone from the iliac crest for alveolar bone grafting is well tolerated by patients, has few important complications, and gives an aesthetically acceptable scar at the donor site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Infirmary, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HE, United Kingdom. marc.swan@surgery.oxford.ac.uk
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Swan
authors.forename: T E E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Goodacre
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000209:etiology; D007085:Ilium / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000009:adverse effects*