Free vascularized bone grafts in surgery of the upper extremity.

Free vascularized fibular grafts were employed in five patients with segmental bone defects following trauma or resection of tumors of the upper extremity with excellent results in three patients and satisfactory results in two. No donor site morbidity was experienced. A comparison with rib and iliac crest grafts indicates that the fibula is more suitable for reconstruction of long bone defects. The advantages of this technique are stability without sacrificing viability and a shorter immobilization period with more rapid incorporation and hypertrophy of the graft. The disadvantages are prolonged operating time, difficulty in assessing patency of anastamoses in the immediate postoperative period, and sacrifice of a major vessel in the lower extremity.