title: MRI appearances of the femur following bone graft harvesting using the Reamer-Irrigator-Aspirator.
abstract: The reamer-irrigator-aspirator is increasingly being used to harvest autologous bone graft from the femur. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of neo-vascularisation and new bone formation that occurs within the medulla following the procedure, and determine if new bone formation would potentially allow a repeat bone harvest in those individuals subsequently requiring further bone graft. Eleven patients who had undergone femoral bone harvest were examined with MRI. The nature of the tissue within the medulla and the extent of neo-vascularisation were assessed. MRI was performed between 3 months and 28 months following bone graft harvest, mean 14 months. Intense vascularisation of the endostial cortical surface and neo-vascularisation of the haematoma within the canal occurred as soon as 3 months following bone harvest. From as early as 14 months the tissue was replaced by normal intramedullary bone. The formation of new bone within the medullary canal gives the potential for a repeat reaming, should further bone graft be required at a later date.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK; NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Unit, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK. Electronic address: James.Rankine@nhs.net.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rankine
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.affiliation: Academic department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Hiang B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Academic department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Unit, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK; Academic department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Peter V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Giannoudis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology*; D013396:Suction / Q000295:instrumentation; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000295:instrumentation; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: autologous bone graft; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); reaming; trauma