Local distal radius bone graft versus iliac crest bone graft for scaphoid nonunion: a comparative study

The aim of the study is to find whether there is any superiority of the iliac crest bone graft over the distal radius bone graft, in surgery of nonunion of scaphoid fractures. This is a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing 50 patients treated with internal fixation and distal radius bone graft (group 1) and 50 patients in whom iliac crest bone graft was used instead (group 2). The patients donor site pain in the postoperative period was assessed using visual analogue scale. At each follow-up, each patient was evaluated using Quick DASH score and Mayo’s scoring system. Minimum follow-up was 3 years. Mean value of visual analogue scale for pain was 7.1 for group 2 and 4.2 for group 1. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of range of wrist joint motion, functional scores, union rate and fracture reduction. There is no advantage of the iliac crest over the distal radius graft to justify its greater morbidity.