To evaluate autogenous iliac bone graft for nonunion after hand fracture.

From October 2006 through September 2008, we analyzed 35 patients, 37 cases of autogenous iliac bone graft for nonunion after hand fracture that have followed up for more than 12 months. We analyzed about etiology, fracture site, initial treatment, time to bone graft, grafted bone size, grafted bone fixation method, radiologic time of bony healing and bone union rate retrospectively. Also we evaluated VAS and range of motion of each joints (MCP, PIP, DIP) at final follow-up assessment.

Etiology was open fracture 23 cases (62.2%), crushing injury 12 cases (32.4%), direct trauma 2 cases (5.4%). Fracture site was metacarpal bone 7 cases, proximal phalanx 17 cases, middle phalanx 8 cases, distal phalanx 5 cases. Time to bone graft was average 20.7 weeks. Grafted bone fixation method was fixation with K-wire 27 cases (73.0%), fixation with only plate 6 cases (16.2%), fixation with K-wire plus plate 2 cases (5.4%), fixation with K-wire plus cerclage wiring 2 cases (5.4%). Grafted bone size was average 0.93 cm³ and bony union time was average 11.1 weeks and we had bone union in all cases.

Autogenous iliac bone graft is the useful method in the reconstruction of non-union as complication after hand fracture.