Pain and Complications following Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) Harvested from the Iliac Crest in Foot and Ankle Surgery

CATEGORY: bone graft in foot and ankle surgery INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Autologous bone is recognized as the gold standard for bone grafting in orthopedics with the iliac crest being the common harvest site. In an attempt to minimize morbidity associated with structural bone graft harvest from the iliac crest and still maintain the proposed benefit of collecting and transplanting live cells and growth factors, Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) obtained from the iliac crest has become increasingly popular. However, any harvest procedure can potentially induce pain and introduce complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and complications of BMAC from the anterior iliac crest for use in various foot and ankle fusion procedures. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients that underwent BMAC harvest from the iliac crest at the time of their foot or ankle surgical procedure by one of four fellowship trained surgeons between 2014 and 2017 with a minimum of six-month follow-up. Patients were evaluated for complications, pain, and functional limitation secondary to the BMAC harvest. The final outcome follow-up for the cohort was conducted using a specifically designed telephone questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction. A total of 55 patients were included, with a median age of 58 years (range 31 to 81 years) and 69% were female. RESULTS: Out of the 55 patients, 52 patients (94.5%) reported reported good to excellent results and were satisfied with the procedure at the time the questionnaire was conducted. Only 3 patients reported persistent complications and some element of dissatisfaction with the procedure after 6 months (the minimum follow up), 1 patient reported persistent numbness at the harvest site, and 2 reported some persistent pain at the harvest site lasting up to 6 months. Some patients reported transient complications that eventually resolved with no implication on their satisfaction of the procedure at the time of the telephone questionnaire. Four patients reported hematoma that was treated conservatively and eventually resolved spontaneously. Four patients reported transient numbness at the harvest site with eventual resolution. Immediately post-operatively, 50% of patients reported some element of post-operative pain. However, at the time of the final follow-up (at least 6 months), only 2 patients reported persistent pain at the harvest site lasting up to 6 months, but it was not considered activity-limiting pain. CONCLUSION: BMAC harvest is a safe procedure with a high rate of patient satisfaction and minimal morbidity with mostly self- limiting complications. This is the first study to evaluate the safety of BMAC as a part of foot and ankle surgical procedures.