Bone healing effects of early-stage versus late-stage bone grafting within induced membrane / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear regarding the difference in bone healing effects after early-stage versus late-stage bone grafting within induced membrane. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference in bone healing effects of bone grafting within induced membrane in the repair of bone defects and the major factors that affect bone healing. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with tibial bone defect who received treatment with induced membrane technique during January 2007 to August 2017 in Wuxi People’s Hospital and Wuxi Orthopedics Hospital, China. These patients consisted of 38 males and 25 females and were aged 16-69 years. According to the time of bone grafting within induced membrane after bone cement filling, these patients were divided into an early stage group (n=25, bone grafting in the induced membrane 6-8 weeks after filling bone cement) and a late stage group (n=38, bone grafting in the induced membrane 10-12 weeks after filling bone cement). The healing of bone defect and functional recovery of affected limbs were evaluated. The causes of delayed healing and nonunion were analyzed. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Wuxi People’s Hospital and Wuxi Orthopedics Hospital, China (approval No. LW2019001). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Bone graft was successfully completed in 63 patients. The induced membrane formed in the early stage group was thin and there were relatively more capillaries, while the induced membrane formed in the late stage group was usually thick and there were relatively few capillaries. All 63 patients were followed up for 16-50 months. In the early stage group, the wound or incision healed at first intention in 22 patients and delayed healing was observed in 3 patients. In the late stage group, the wound or incision healed at first intention in 34 patients, delayed healing was observed in 2 patients, and healing by the second intention was observed in 2 patients. In the early stage group, there was 1 patient developing delayed healing, no nonunion was observed, the clinical healing time was averaged 6.64 (range 5.0-12.0 months) months. In the late stage group, delayed healing occurred in 2 patients and nonunion was observed in 1 patient. The clinical healing time was averaged 7.42 (range 5.0-16.0 months) months. There were no significant differences in the healing time and nonunion between the early stage and late stage groups (P > 0.05). In the early stage group, excellent functional recovery of affected limb was observed in 13 patients, good recovery in 11 patients, and fair recovery in 1 patient, and it was 17, 18 and 3 patients respectively in the late stage group. There was no significant difference in functional recovery of affected limbs between early stage and late stage groups (P > 0.05). These results showed that bone grafting within the induced membrane at different time has slight, but not significant effect on healing of bone defect. Other factors, such as the size and the integrity of induced membrane, the quality and quantity of bone graft material, and the stability of bone stumps had more significant effects on the healing of bone defects, in particular on the healing rate.