DONOR SITE MORBIDITY FOLLOWING VASCULARIZED FIBULAR GRAFTING

We examined donor site morbidity in thirty-nine patients with avascula r necrosis of the femoral head treated by curettage and transplantatio n of a free ipsilateral fibular graft. Utilising our donor site morbid ity questionnaire, scar, functional loss, wound healing, complications , and pain were analysed. Subjective complaints and objective findings were evaluated and compared. Subjective complaints were common and in cluded a sense of instability in 42% and a sense of weakness in 37%. H owever, objective findings were limited. No clinical instability could be elicited and only great toe flexion (29%) and extension (43%) were found to be mildly weak. Only one patient required reoperation for a donor site problem (2%), Eighty-nine percent were pain free at time of follow-up, and 93% felt the scar was good. Range of motion of the kne e and ankle of the donor site leg was not different from the nonoperat ed leg. Donor site morbidity for avascular necrosis of the femoral hea d is low. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.