I am going in for a revision surgery on January 16 that will require some bone grafts. At this point my surgeon has only mentioned artificial grafting material. What are your experiences with grafting? I know with a graft from myself that will require another incision and add to risk of infection and pain but does that risk outweigh the results I would get from using my own bone tissue? Feedback please!
Thanks!
~Kimberly
Kimberly, from everything I've read, your own graft is preferable if it is available without too many complications. Less risk of rejection. I have osteoporosis so it was not an option for me. You are going to be laid up anyway, you're young and healthy, so why not? Just my 2 cents. Less than a month to go! I'll bet you're counting the days.
Ginger
P.S. How's your laundry coming along?
Well he never brought up using my own bone as an option. I go tomorrow for my pre op physical so ill ask then. Laundry is better now I'm doing it. I'm do ready for surgery day to get here.
Ask your doc how much bone is needed and if he uses donor bone, what kind will it be--live or fully processed? If autograft, from where in your body would he harvest it? Fresh allograft (cadaver) has live cells but there is a small risk of rejection or disease transmission. Dead donor bone allows scheduling flexibility with lower risk of rejection or disease transmission, but the bone is, well, dead.
Not every graft needs live bone. If you build a scaffold of processed (dead) cadaver bone, over time your body's osteoclasts and osteoblasts invade, eat away the dead donor bone, and replace it with your own new live bone.
I just had a bone graft in my jaw after losing a tooth using dry processed bone flakes (cadaver). Probably not what they'll use for your surgery, but that's why I've been reading up on bone grafts.
Thanks for the info. He talked about using an artificial graft of some sort then filling the joint with like a bone grafting paste or putty of some sort. Just thought I'd get some feedback. Thank you for that useful information
Did some more reading and the online sources all agree with what ginger62 said, that your own bone is best if available. Next is cadaver bone, then animal (cow) bone, then last are artificial mineral substitutes. Only your own bone contains live osteoblasts; the others are all designed to allow or encourage your cells to go in and remodel it. In some cases (including knee joint and talus grafts) you want cartilage with live chondrocytes.
For dental work like mine they can take it from the chin or back of the jaw. For larger grafts (dental or otherwise) it's often taken from the illiac crest of the pelvis or the shinbone (tibia).
If you search online you'll find some info about bone grafting pastes, powders, and puttys.
LadyKanner- my doctor used on me is titanium he said it was lot better then using someone elses and my own.
__________________
~Erin~
Surgery on November 9th,2012. I had extra bone removed, bone spur shaved down, calf muscle lengthened and a titanium wedge put in.
Titanium grafts Erin? You sure it wasn't your metal hardware that was titanium? I just got home from my preop visit with my surgeon. We are going with femoral head grafts from a cadaver. The artificial will be the putty containing live bone cells.
They used cadaver tissue for my surgery. Included with my discharge papers was a little note to contact the donor family if you choose. I plan to do that but haven't quite been able to yet.
Ginger
Oh that is great. I would definitely want to thank them if given the option. Kind of creepy to think about tissue from a deceased person being in my body
My mom had to have the entire left half of her jaw removed, due to cancer, at 81 . Dr replaced with titanium plate. She also had a piece of man made material inserted to make a flap under her chin, durin reconstruction. It's been 5 years and no probs. DR used titanium because he didn't to harvest large enough graft from her, due to the 16 hr surgery he was already doing, and he felt too much of a chance of rejection using cadaver, because lymph nodes in her neck, armpits were also removed.
I hope everyone who can has signed up to be an organ donor. I understand that some are not comfortable with it or have religious beliefs that prevent it. But please folks, especially at this time of year, you can make a huge difference. It can be a matter of life or death. It's as simple as signing your name when you renew your drivers license. That one simple act can save so many lives. If you aren't a donor already, please think about it.
Much love,
Ginger
The Following User Says Thank You to ginger62 For This Useful Post: Btrfli1 (12-20-2012)
