Complications of bone graft harvest from the anterior and posterior ilium and the proximal tibia

Autogenous bone grafts from the ilium and proximal tibia are commonly used in orthopaedic procedures. They are used to promote healing and provide structural support. There are several advantages to using autogenous bone grafts including that they are not immunogenic and have osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties. Nevertheless, bone graft harvesting from these sites may be associated with multiple complications and significant morbidity. Bone harvesting from the anterior and posterior ilium may be complicated by severe pain, poor cosmesis, hematoma, infection, impaired wound healing, nerve damage, hernia, pelvic fracture, vascular injury, sacroiliac joint instability or urethral injury. Bone graft harvesting from the proximal tibia has a number of minor risks, including the risk of fracture. In this review, we describe and summarize the complications associated with bone graft harvesting from the anterior ilium, posterior ilium and proximal tibia.