The incidence of donor site pain after bone graft harvesting from the posterior iliac crest may be overestimated: a study on spine fracture patients.
METHODS
A retrospective cohort study on patients with traumatic vertebral fractures who underwent fusion with iliac crest bone.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of low back surgery on donor site attributed pain, we compared donor site pain between patients who underwent high and low level fusions.


BACKGROUND
The most common complication of posterior iliac crest bone graft harvesting is postoperative pain at the donor site. The incidence of donor site pain after bone graft harvesting from the posterior iliac crest is mainly reported from studies in patients who underwent low lumbar or lumbosacral surgery. The close proximity of the primary surgery to the iliac crest could interfere with the reported incidence of donor site pain.


METHODS
Questionnaires regarding the iliac crest morbidity were sent to patients who underwent instrumented posterolateral fusion after traumatic spinal fractures. The incidence of donor site attributed pain was compared between patients whose fusion was between T2 and L2, with patients whose fusion extended to L3 or more caudally.


RESULTS
In patients with a fusion of high levels, the donor site pain was significantly lower compared with patients with fusion of low levels (14.3% vs. 40.9%).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients probably cannot differentiate between donor site pain and residual low back pain. The reported incidence of pain related to posterior iliac crest bone graft harvesting may therefore be overestimated.
Delawi
Diyar
D
Department of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. d.delawi@umcutrecht.nl
Dhert
Wouter J A
WJ
Castelein
René M
RM
Verbout
Abraham J
AJ
Oner
F Cumhur
FC
D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007085:Ilium / Q000637:transplantation*; D015994:Incidence; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome