Donor site morbidity following iliac crest bone graft.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the complications of harvesting autogenous bone from the iliac crest.


METHODS
A retrospective review of patients undergoing iliac crest bone grafting at the University Hospital of the West Indies, during the period 2000-2004, was performed. One hundred and three patients were identified. Thirty-two patients were successfully contacted and 30 completed the questionnaire. There were 18 males (60%) and 12 females (40%). Their ages ranged from 13 years to 80 years (average 45.6 years).


RESULTS
Of the 30 patients, 22 (73.3%) had complications. Fourteen (46.6%) patients had temporary pain; five (16.6%) had chronic pain. Two (6.6%) changed position of clothing due to discomfort at the graft site; five (16.6%) experienced difficulty walking, one reported itching of the scar one had altered sensation and one was unhappy with the scar. Fourteen patients (46.6%) had minor complications and eight patients (26.6%) had major complications.


CONCLUSIONS
Autogenous iliac crest bone grafting is associated with significant complications.
Palmer
W
W
Division of Orthopaedics, Department of Surgery, Radiology, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies.
Crawford-Sykes
A
A
Rose
R E C
RE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007085:Ilium / Q000601:surgery*; D015994:Incidence; D007563:Jamaica; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult