Bone grafting in surgery about the foot and ankle: indications and techniques

Bone grafting is a common procedure in foot and ankle surgery. Historically, autogenous bone graft has most often been harvested from the ipsilateral iliac crest. However, other sites offer similar volumes of cancellous bone and are associated with fewer complications. The ipsilateral proximal tibia, distal tibia, and calcaneus provide adequate amounts of bone graft material for most arthrodesis procedures about the foot and ankle. Emerging techniques have enabled the development of a seemingly unlimited supply of alternative bone graft materials with osteoconductive properties. The osteoprogenitor cells in bone marrow aspirates can be concentrated by use of selective retention systems. These aspirate-matrix composites may be combined with allograft preparations, resulting in a product that promotes osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osteogenesis with limited morbidity.