The effect of autologous concentrated bone-marrow grafting on the healing of femoral shaft non-unions after locked intramedullary nailing

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the union rates in a series of patients with failed femoral shaft aseptic non-union who were treated with percutaneous concentrated autologous bone marrow grafting. Bone marrow harvesting and cell injection were performed under general anaesthesia in a single surgical procedure. Radiographic union was diagnosed in fractures with a score ≥10 according to the radiographic union scale in tibial fractures (RUST) and confirmed by clinical examination. Eight out of 16 patients progressed to consolidation (RUST score ≥10). Radiographic evidence of fracture union was observed at an average of 4.75±1.75 months (range 3 to 8 months). All eight patients who did not progress to union within 12 months following the cell grafting procedure had a RUST score ≤10 (range 4 to 9). There were no differences in age, number of previous surgeries, duration of nonunion and preoperative RUST score between the patients that developed solid union and those with failed consolidation. However, a relationship between the number of osteoprogenitors injected and the rate of union was noted, 20.2±8.6 × 10⁸ versus 9.8±4.3 × 10⁸, p<0.005, between the patients with and without union, respectively. The efficacy of percutaneous autologous concentrated bone marrow grafting seems to be related to the number of osteoprogenitors available in the aspirates. Optimisation of the aspiration technique and concentration process is of paramount importance to increase the incidence of a successful outcome.