The goal of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of frozen cancellous bone allograft in the treatment of long bone fractures that had bone defect and nonunion.

22 cases of long bone fractures(femur and tibia) with severe comminution or bone defect and nonunion were treated by operation using frozen cancellous bone allograft from March 1998 through May 2000. Thirteen were male and nine were female. The average age was 55 years old (range, 17-76 years) and the mean duration of follow-up was 20.1 months(range, 10-37 months). Eleven cases were femoral fractures, 7 cases of tibial fractures, and 4 cases of nonunion. Allografts were achieved from the patients of femoral neck fracture or osteoarthritis of the hip, and cadaveric donors. The specimens were carefully evaluated based on medical history and laboratory examination about the acute or chronic infection, and bloodtransmitted diseases. The results were evaluated by clinically, such as infection, pain at fracture site, immunological rejection and by radiologically union or resorption of allografts.

Radiologically, bone union was obtained in 14 cases(63.6%) at 6 months after operation, in all except two cases(90.9%) at 9 months after operation. Clinically, pain at fracture site, infection, and immunologic rejection were not observed.

In the treatment of severe comminuted fracture or nonunion of long bones, cancellous allograft transplantation after strict donor selection and appropriate screening was a good substitution for autograft avoiding of donor site morbidity or limitation in quantity.