Successful bone grafting of fracture nonunion at the forearm radial flap donor site.

A case of donor-site fracture following a radial forearm flap was treated conservatively with plaster but failed to unite. Successful union was achieved with bone grafting, external fixation, and electrical stimulation. It is suggested that in similar cases of delayed union, or where a large amount of bone has been resected from the radius and there is a significant risk of fracture or where fracture has occurred intraoperatively, the possibility of primary bone grafting should be considered.