Clinical, haematological and radiological evaluation of fragmented autogenous cortical bone grafting of radius in dogs.

In eight clinically healthy dogs, a midshaft diaphyseal defect of 2 cm was created in the right radius ulna. This gap was maintained by fixing a four hole sherman bone plate on the radius. In four dogs, the gap was filled with autogenous cancellous bone grafts (2-5 mm in diameter) harvested from the proximal end of the tibia (group 1). In the remaining 4 dogs, the fracture gap was filled with autogenous cortical bone fragments (ACBF) of 2-5 mm diameter made from the same 2 cm piece of bone removed from the radius. While comparing various clinical observations, it appeared that healing of the wounds and bearing of the weight on the grafted limb in dogs subjected to ACBF graft were similar to those given autogenous cancellous bone graft. In radiographs, taken on the 30th day in group 1, a fairly good amount of callus was found emerging from fracture ends but the whole of the bone graft area was not covered by bony density even on the 60th day. In group 2 (ACBF), 45th day radiograph revealed that the callus from the fracture end was mixing up with the cortical bone fragments, and at the 60th day, the callus was clearly found invading the cortical bone fragments grafted in the fracture gap.