Complications following autologous bone transplantation at the site of removal

: Between April 1978 and December 1983, 206 operations to obtain autologous bone were performed in the Orthopedic Department of Barmbek General Hospital. In 1985, 125 patients were analyzed by means of a detailed questionnaire and a clinical examination. A total of 55.2% of the 125 patients were free of complaints following removal of bone. In 37.6% there were slight to moderate, and in 7.2% severe to extremely severe complications. The most common type of complaint was persistent postoperative pain (40%). Neural damage, i.e., hypesthesia and dysesthesia, was observed in 21.6% of the cases. An increased postoperative tendency to swelling was seen in 12.8% of the 125 patients. There was also one case of fracture of the shaft of the tibia in the area where bone had been removed. Other complications were rare. All in all, the postoperative complications following removal of a chip from the shin were the most serious. Complaints due to removal from the posterior iliac crest were considerably less severe. The least problematic courses were those after removal from the anterior iliac crest. Removal of coritcospongious chips from the tibia should be avoided if at all possible. The removal site of choice is the anterior iliac crest, unless the posterior crest has to be preferred because of the surgical technique employed.