Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to compare bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) with cancellous allograft to iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) in the treatment of long bone nonunions.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Setting:
A single level I trauma center.
Patients:
26 patients with long bone diaphyseal or metaphyseal nonunions with defects >2 mm and treated with open repair and BMAC, compared to 25 patients with long bone diaphyseal or metaphyseal nonunions with defects >2 mm and treated with open repair and ICBG.
Intervention:
Open repair of long bone nonunion using either autologous ICBG or BMAC with cancellous allograft.
Main outcome measure:
Nonunion healing, radiographically measured by the modified Radiographic Union Score for Tibia (mRUST) score. Secondary outcomes included risk factors associated with failed repair.
Results:
The union rates for the BMAC and ICBG cohorts were 75% and 78%, respectively (
P =
.8). Infection was the only risk factor of statistical significance for failure.
Conclusion:
In this study, we found no significant difference in union rate for long bone nonunions treated with ICBG or BMAC with allograft. BMAC and allograft led to 75% successful healing in this series. Given the heterogeneity of the control group and loss to follow-up, further prospective investigation should be conducted to more rigorously compare BMAC to ICBG for nonunion treatment.
Level of evidence:
III, retrospective cohort.
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