Abstract
Aim: to assess the effect of lyophilized bone grafts, autologous platelet gel and autologous medullary cells on bone repair processes after tibial osteotomy for genu varum.
Methods: thirty patients, divided into 3 groups by the generation of random sampling numbers, were treated by valgus osteotomy for genu varum with a minimum correction of 8 mm and fixation using a titanium plate (TITAN plateA8 Citieffe).
The groups were thus divided:
-
Group 1: lyophilized bone chips.
-
Group 2: lyophilized bone chips + platelet gel
-
Group 3 lyophilized bone chips + platelet gel + packed autologous medullary cells (buffy coat).
At six weeks X-rays, MRI and needle biopsies were carried out. The tissue underwent morphological and microstructural tests.
Results: preliminary results confirmed that the use of platelet gel and packed medullary cells as adjuvant for the lyophilized bone aid bone repair and graft integration. Morphological and morphometric tests showed that at six week the newly formed bone of group 3 had better mechanical properties.
Conclusions: this study shows that the use of platelet gel and packed autologous medullary cells combined with lyophilized bone chips produces a faster and mechanically stronger recovery of bone stock in the treatment of bone defects.
The abstracts were prepared by Ms Grazia Gliozzi. Correspondence should be addressed to her at the Italian Orthopaedic Research Society, Laboratory for Pathophysiology, Instituti Ortopedici Rizzoli, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
