Abstract
Introduction: Fresh autogenous cancellous bone graft is the material of choice in reconstruction and fusion procedures in foot and ankle surgery. There are many potential donor sites for graft harvest, all with recognised minor and major complications. The proximal tibia is one such potential site, and is particularly suited to foot and ankle surgery being within the operative field and under tourniquet control.
Purpose: To assess pain, morbidity and ability to weight bear in a large group of patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery utilising cancellous bone graft from the proximal tibia.
Method: A retrospective audit was undertaken of 148 procedures performed over a period of five years. Minimum follow-up was 3 months. Data were obtained from operation notes and patient interview.
Results: Most patients had no pain (78%) or very mild pain (20%) at the site of graft harvest immediately following surgery. At review, 96% had no pain; 4% had very mild pain with certain activities such as kneeling. There were no major complications. 4 patients (2.7%) had persisting areas of parasthaesia at review, but none were troubled by it. One patient had a superficial wound problem that resolved. The ability to bear weight was dictated by the primary procedure. Usually this was from 2–3 weeks. There were no complications related to early weight bearing in this series.
Conclusion: The proximal tibia is a suitable and safe site for bone graft harvest for foot and ankle surgery. There is no need for additional restriction in weight bearing following this procedure.
Correspondence should be addressed to Ms Larissa Welti, Scientific Secretary, EFORT Central Office, Technoparkstrasse 1, CH-8005 Zürich, Switzerland
