Qualitative and Quantitative Differences Between Bone Graft Obtained from the Medullary Canal (with a Reamer/Irrigator/Aspirator) and the Iliac Crest of the Same Patient

Abstract

This is the first study to directly compare the histological and molecular profiles of bone grafts from reaming debris and the iliac crest of the same patient. The debris generated during intramedullary reaming, harvested with use of the RIA technique, and the bone graft harvested from the iliac crest possessed a similar transcriptional profile for genes known to act in the early stages of bone repair and formation. This suggests that reaming debris may be a viable alternative to iliac crest bone graft when autologous cancellous graft is needed.