Bone grafting is the process of transplanting bone tissue from one region of the patient's body, or from another person called a donor, to repair diseased bones in the patient. A bone graft--bone tissue being transplanted from one region to another--is called an autograft if it is from the patient's body and an allograft if it is being taken from a donor. When the patient's body accepts the bone graft, a framework is set for the growth of new living bone.
Immune Response Complications
One of the major problems that can occur after a bone graft is an immune response complication. Immune response complications occur when the bone graft is from a donor. According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a patient's immune system may reject the newly grafted bone tissue as incompatible with the patient's own tissues. This occurrence of the body rejecting the bone tissue is similar to that of a patient receiving the wrong type of blood transfusion. Surgeons administer anti-rejection drugs when they observe signs of immune response complications.
Surgical Complications
The University of Maryland Medical Centre states that surgical complications are among the most common bone grafting complications. As with any surgery, complications can occur during and after the procedure. Depending on the area of surgery, the complications will vary from patient to patient. The most common surgical complications are infection at the graft site. Pain as well as some form of impairment. may develop in the region For example, a surgery near the spinal cord may lead to problems with walking.
Hardware Complications
According to a 2007 study published in the Archives of Head and Neck Surgery, hardware problems may lead to complications after bone grafting. Plates and screws may be inserted to hold the grafts in place until the bone begins to grow normally. When these screws are loose or the plates move out of place, complications can occur.
References
- "Archives of Head and Neck Surgery"; Evaluation of Hardware-Related Complications in Vascularized Bone Grafts With Locking Mandibular Reconstruction Plate Fixation; P.D. Knott et al.; 2007
- University of Maryland Medical Center: A Patient's Guide to Cervical Corpectomy and Strut Graft
- MedlinePlus: Bone grafts
