The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 72, Issue 6 801-810, Copyright © 1990 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Biological and physical properties of autogenous vascularized fibular grafts in dogs
VM Goldberg, S Stevenson, JW Shaffer, D Davy, L Klein, J Zika and G Field
Department of Orthopaedics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
The biological and biomechanical properties of normal fibulae, fibulae that
had had a sham operation, and both vascularized and non-vascularized
autogenous grafts were studied in dogs at three months after the operation.
The study was designed to quantify and correlate changes in these
properties in orthotopic, stably fixed, weight-bearing grafts and to
provide a baseline for additional studies of allografts. The grafts were
eight centimeters long and internally fixed. The mechanical properties of
the grafts were studied by torsional testing. Metabolic turnover of the
grafts was evaluated by preoperative labeling of the dogs with
3H-tetracycline for resorption of bone mineral and with 3H-proline for
turnover of collagen. Cortical bone area and porosity were measured.
Postoperative formation of bone was evaluated by sequential labeling with
fluorochrome. The vascularized grafts resembled the fibulae that had had a
sham operation and those that had not had an operation with regard to the
total number of osteons and the remodeling process, as measured both
morphometrically and metabolically. The vascularized grafts were stronger
and stiffer than the non-vascularized grafts and were not different from
the bones that had had a sham operation. In contrast, the non-vascularized
grafts were smaller, weaker, less stiff, and more porotic, had fewer
osteons, and demonstrated increased turnover and resorption compared with
the vascularized grafts, the bones that had had a sham operation, and the
bones that had not been operated on.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Technorati What's this?
