Management of aseptic nonunions and severe bone defects: let us get this thing healed!

Effective nonunion and bone defect management requires consideration of multiple potential contributing factors including biomechanics, biology, metabolic, and patient factors. This article reviews these factors as well as several potential nonunion or bone defect treatments including bone grafts, bone graft substitutes, the induced membrane technique, and distraction osteogenesis. A summary of these concepts and guidelines for an overall approach to management are also provided.