Results of 10-year follow-up of the iliac donor site of graft patients

Objectives: To measure levels of pain and iliac regeneration at the iliac crest donor site during a 10-year follow-up of graft patients. Methods: This prospective study used a visual analogue scale (VAS) to assess pain at the donor site at 1 month and 1, 3, 5 and 10 years postoperatively. Iliac regeneration status was recorded at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years postoperatively by comparing plain radiographs. Results: A total of 32 patients participated in the study. Mean VAS scores at 1 month, 1 year, 3, 5, and 10 years were 3.22, 3.39, 3.45, 2.02 and 1.38, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between pain scores at 1 month and 1 year, but pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences between the other timepoints. The mean iliac regeneration rank scores at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years were 1.36, 2.22, 2.97, 3.75 and 4.70, respectively; all pairwise comparisons were statistically significant. Conclusion: The iliac donor site showed a declining trend in pain, which appeared to have started 3 years postoperatively. Long-term follow-up showed that the ilium is readily able to repair itself.