Bone grafting repairs damaged bones with transplanted tissue

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure used to replace missing bone in order to mend complex fractures that pose significant health risks or fail to heal properly on their own. While minor fractures can often heal without the need for bone grafting, severe fractures, like compound fractures, present a higher risk and frequently require this intervention. Bone has a natural capacity to heal completely, but this is typically possible only when the fracture gap is minimal or when there is a suitable scaffold to support the healing process.

Bone grafts come in several forms: autografts, which use bone harvested from the patient’s own body usually from the iliac crest, allografts, which use donor bone from a bone bank and synthetic grafts, which are made from biocompatible materials such as hydroxyapatite. These grafts provide a framework for new bone growth, facilitating the healing process. Over the course of several months, the graft material is gradually reabsorbed and replaced by the patient’s own bone tissue, resulting in a restored and strengthened bone structure.