WHAT IS AN ALLOGRAFT PROCEDURE

by anodynedelaware | Sep 30, 2022 | Pain Management

An injury that leads to fractured and damaged bones requires careful reconstruction and healing. Doctors may repair a damaged bone by using an allograft, which is a bone graft in which the replacement bone comes from another person.

This type of procedure may be needed when the bones of the knees, arms, hips, and legs are damaged.

Anodyne Pain and Wellness Solutions of Delaware focuses on non-opioid, non-surgical treatment of acute and chronic pain. Along with treating individuals for joint pain, their services include spinal decompression, chiropractic care, acupuncture, cold laser therapy, functional medicine, IV therapy, concussion testing, weight loss programs, and wound care.

This organization treats patients’ symptoms with physical medicine, traditional medicine, functional medicine, and regenerative medicine.

WHAT IS BONE GRAFTING?

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure where the surgeon uses transplanted bone to repair or rebuild damaged bones. Your surgeon may take bone from your hips, legs, or ribs to perform the graft.

Most of your skeleton consists of bone matrix which is the hard material that gives bones their strength. There are living bone cells inside the matrix and can help repair and heal bone when necessary. The healing process begins as soon as your bone breaks, and as long as the break is not too large, your bone cells can repair it. If the break is too severe that the cells cannot repair it, then that is when a a surgeon will need to repair the damage.

WHEN MIGHT YOU NEED A BONE GRAFT?

Specific conditions that may require a bone graft include:

• A fracture your healthcare provider suspects won’t heal on its own
• A previous fracture that was not treated with a graft and didn’t heal well
• Disease of the bone like osteonecrosis or cancer
• Spinal fusion surgery, which you might need if you have an unstable spine
• Dental implant surgery, which you might need if you need to replace missing teeth
• Surgically implanted devices like a knee replacement

BONE GRAFT PROCEDURE

During a bone graft procedure, your surgeon will insert a new piece of bone in place of where the bone needs to heal or join. The cells inside the new bone can then seal themselves to the old bone.

The following are the things that will take place during a bone graft procedure:

• Anesthesia

You will receive anesthesia to ensure you do not feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure

• Monitor vital signs

A healthcare professional will monitor your vital signs, like your heart rate and blood pressure, during the operation.

• Cleaning and making the incision

Your surgeon will start by cleaning the affected area then cutting through the skin and muscle surrounding the bone that will recieve the graft. Your surgeon will insert the bone graft between the two pieces of bone that need to grow together. The bone may also need to be grafted with special screws. The surgeon will end by closing up the layers of skin and muscle around the treated bone.

PREPARING FOR A BONE GRAFT PROCEDURE

Prior to a bone graft procedure, your doctor will ask routine questions about your medical history and any medications, over-the-counter drugs or supplements you are taking, and they will perform a physical examination.

Your doctor will give you complete instructions about what to do in the days leading up to your surgery which will likely include fasting before your surgery to prevent complications while you’re under anesthesia.

BENEFITS

• Less painful

Using an allograft will reduce the patients’ pain because it is minimally invasive. The surgeon only makes one incision for bone graft delivery instead of another one for the bone graft harvesting. Due to the advanced technology, the devices make graft surgery much less painful for patients. 

The most common device used by surgeons during allograft procedures is the GraftGun. It’s an innovative Graft Delivery System designed for accuracy and precision, allowing adequate pressure needed to fill any void during a bone graft delivery. This device allows the surgeon to determine where the bone voice has been filled with orthobiologic, which in turn prevents the surgery from resulting in nonunion. Using the GraftGun allows patients to make a quicker recover because there are fewer wounds to heal.

• Low risk of rejection

Allografts have a lower rejection rate because the transplanted bone has no living cells. An allograft surgery does not require the need to match blood types between the donor and the patient due to the fact that allografts do not contain living bone marrow, which is the case with autografts. When a doctor chooses to use an allograft for a surgery, it saves valuable time for themselves and the patient.

• Less complications

Using an allograft for a bone graft surgery comes with less likelihood of complications since the doctor only makes one surgical incision on the patient’s body. Managing multiple incisions is not preferable because the extra incisions can cause more pain during recovery for the patient. Multiple incisions also increase the risks of something going wrong during surgery.

RISKS

Bone graft procedures present the usual risks of any surgical procedure including pain, infection, blood clot, nerve damage, complications from anesthesia, or swelling. Your doctor will speak with you about proper care following the surgery and how to minimize your discomfort during the healing process.

There is also a risk that your bone might not heal even with your bone graft. The risks of the procedure will vary according to your reasoning for geting the bone graft. For example, your bone graft might not be as likely to heal if you smoke or if you have diabetes.

RECOVERY

Recovery from bone grafts will depend on the size of the graft and other variables. Typical recovery can take anywhere from two weeks to more than a year. The following are instructions your doctor may give you following your surgery:

• Avoid vigorous physical activity for as lost as your surgeon suggests.
• Apply ice and elevate your arm or leg after surgery to prevent swelling, which can cause pain and blood clots
• Exercise the muscle groups that weren’t affected by the surgery
• Maintain a healthy diet, which can help in your recovery process

If you are having any type of body pains or are concerned about needing a procedure, you can consult with Anodyne Pain and Wellness Solutions of Delaware. It is a national health care provider produced by a team of board-certified, highly skilled physicians, behavioral therapists, nurses, and a variety of staff members who develop a successful treatment plan for each patient.