Bone harvesting at the anterior iliac crest using piezoosteotomy versus conventional open harvesting: a pilot study

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate piezoosteotomy for bone harvesting at the iliac crest in a pilot collective.Study designThirteen patients underwent anterior iliac crest bone graft harvesting using piezoosteotomy. These patients were compared to an age- and sex-matched retrospective cohort of 13 patients who underwent bone graft harvesting at the anterior iliac crest using conventional chisels and saws in an otherwise identical protocol.ResultsHarvested bone volumes and operation times were comparable; hospitalization time was briefer and pain levels at the first 2 postoperative days less in the piezoosteotomy group; pain medication requirement was comparable. Spearman’s-rho correlation showed a strong tie between pain medication requirement and harvested bone volume in the piezoosteotomy group and between harvested bone volume and operation time in the conventional surgery collective.ConclusionsThe correlation between required pain medication and harvested bone volume together with lower pain levels in the piezoosteotomy group indicate pain more exclusively related to local osseous damage than to correlated soft tissue lacerations. Conventional technique shows a correlation between operation time and harvested bone volume indicating a more time-effective procedure, although total operation time was comparable. Piezoosteotomy appears to have potential use in iliac crest bone harvesting.