Topical hemostatic agents to reduce bleeding from cancellous bone surfaces: a comparison of Gelfoam paste and bone wax.

This article reviews the history of topical bone hemostatic agents, listing advantages and disadvantages of the more commonly used agents. Gelfoam paste and bone wax were chosen to study the effects that bone hemostatic agents have on the occurrence and severity of postoperative edema and pain. The authors discovered 80% of the patients utilizing bone wax, and 91% of the patients receiving Gelfoam paste, had markedly decreased amounts of immediate postoperative edema. Furthermore, 90% of the patients treated with bone wax, and 75% of the patients treated with Gelfoam paste, reported less postoperative pain than anticipated with the surgical procedure performed.