Tibial Bone Fracture after Bone Harvesting from the Tibia

Recent reports have suggested that procedures using bone grafts from the tibia shorten operating time and reduce postoperative discomfort. Tibial grafts are thought to be less invasive than conventional iliac grafts, and we have obtained favourable results with tibial grafts. However, this report is of a 54-year-old woman who sustained a tibial fracture on the donor side in a fall after harvesting for the tibial graft. This suggests that although extraction of bone from the tibia is less invasive than extraction from the iliac crest, there is a need for a mandatory period of rest and reduced effort to allow bone regeneration at the donor site with the use of bone graft substitutes.