The effect of a single dose of bupivacaine on donor site pain after anterior iliac crest bone harvesting

Transplants from the anterior iliac crest are used for most reconstructive procedures in cranio-maxillofacial surgery. The advantages are easy accessibility, the ability to work in two teams and the amount of corticocancellous bone available; disadvantages are postoperative pain and gait disturbances. To reduce donor-site pain, the effect of a single dose of bupivacaine (10 cc of 2.5 mg/cc with 1:80.000 epinephrine) was studied. 200 consecutive patients, who underwent anterior iliac crest bone harvesting for reconstructive procedures, were randomly divided into those receiving bupivacaine and those not. They completed a standardized questionnaire. Patients scored the intensity of the pain and difficulties walking at different times with a visual analogue scale. They recorded analgesics used. 98 questionnaires were eligible for analysis. No differences between the bupivacaine and the control group were detected for postoperative pain and gait disturbance. There is no support for administration of a single dose of bupivacaine to reduce pain in the first postoperative days. The surface area of the removed bone had a significant influence on pain and walking; pain is related to the local osseous damage or periosteal stripping rather than to the length of incision or the operation time.