OSTEOINDUCTION IN THE TREATMENT OF LOWER LIMB NON-UNIONS: CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Numerous growth factors, together with bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), are involved in the biological mechanism of bone induction. BMP 7 combined with collagen type 1 has shown to be effective in triggering the osteoinductive mechanism in the presence of bone defects as an alternative to bone graft. The aim of the present study is to present the experience gained at the Orthopaedic Clinic of Catania with BMP in lower limb non-union or pseudoarthrosis with bone defect after skeletal stabilisation.From December 2003 to May 2004 at the Orthopaedic Clinic Of Catania four patients were treated using OP 1. The study group comprised three women and one man with a mean age at the time of operation of 27 years (range 23– 32 years). One subject presented with non-union, two patients with normotrophic pseudoarthrosis and one with atrophic pseudoarthrosis. In all cases the bone defect was localised at the tibia. All patients were treated surgically with skeletal stabilisation (one with a monolateral external fixat...