Effects of pre- and postoperative irradiation on the healing of bone grafts in the rabbit.

Healing of cellular bone grafts irradiated at various times in the postsurgical course was compared to the healing characteristics of bone grafts placed into already irradiated tissue and to controls of irradiated host mandible in a rabbit model. Physical graft consolidation was assessed by load stress characteristics and serial histologic examination. Results indicated that grafts placed into already irradiated tissues failed to form bone in both phases of expected regeneration resulting in structurally weakened and histologically deficient ossicles. Bone grafts irradiated after placement were tolerant of irradiation. Bone grafts irradiated after four weeks were found to be less affected by irradiation than those irradiated within the first four weeks, forming an ossicle structurally and histologically superior to that of bone ossicles developed from grafts placed into irradiated tissues.