Authors' recommendations: Most bones heal without problems, but sometimes delayed unions and nonunions occur even when treatment is optimal. Nonunions occur in approximately 5% to 20% of all broken bones in the United States, but are as high as 30% in foot-related and 40% in ankle-related nonunions. Treatment for nonunions consists of nonsurgical options, e.g., electrical or ultrasonic bone stimulation, and surgical options, e.g., bone grafting and internal and external fixation. The current standard treatment for nonunions is autologous bone grafting using bone taken from the iliac crest combined with internal fixation. While the bone graft contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which play a role in healing, donor-site complications (fracture, infection, pain) can arise in an estimated 10% to 40% of patients, and the amount of bone that can be taken for grafting is limited. During the bone healing process, MSCs migrate out of the bone marrow to the fracture site where they differentiate into either osteoblasts or chondrocytes to aid in cartilage formation and bone repair. However, in some cases, the numbers of MSCs are inadequate for successful union.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: The report may be purchased from: http://www.hayesinc.com/hayes/crd/?crd=17266

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: HAYES, Inc.

Contact Address: 157 S. Broad Street, Suite 200, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: 215 855 0615; Fax: 215 855 5218

Contact Name: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Contact Email: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Copyright: 2014 Winifred S. Hayes, Inc