Background: Reamed nailing gives better fracture healing than unreamed nail
ing in operative treatment of fractures and nonunions, This study investiga
tes the effect of isolated reaming debris on fracture healing in an animal
model.
Methods: Thirty sheep were treated with an osteotomy of the tibia with 5-mm
distraction. In one group, the osteotomy gap was left empty; in the second
group, the gap was packed with reaming debris from the ipsilateral femur;
and in the third group, the gap was packed with cancellous bone from the il
iac crest. At followup, callus volume was measured on standard radiographs.
Results: After 3 weeks, callus volume from the reaming debris group as web
as the iliac crest group had increased significantly compared with the empt
y group.
Conclusion: This study shows that isolated reaming debris supports callus b
uilding as much as conventional bone grafting, which might explain why frac
tures heal with more callus formation when treated with reamed nailing comp
ared with unreamed nailing.