Comparison of Anterior Iliac Crest Versus Proximal Tibia Autologous Bone Graft Harvesting: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Anterior iliac crest (AIC) is the preferred option for bone grafting; however, pain and complications are reported. Proximal tibia (PT) is a sourceful site for bone grafting with lower complications. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched to identify studies comparing AIC and PT autograft procedure. The main outcome was pain and complication rate. As well as cadaveric and cell-based studies were analyzed for quantity and quality of AIC and PT autograft. A meta-analysis was performed using the generic inverse variance method with random or fixed effects model depending on heterogeneity between studies. Heterogeneity was tested with the I² statistic index. Fifteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Six studies and 248 patients were included for clinical outcomes. A significant pain reduction favoring PT at 24 hours was detected after meta-analysis and corresponding sensitivity analysis. The estimated effect size ranged from -2.31 to -2.93 cm, with confidence intervals aligned to the left indicating a robust steady decrease in pain across studies. This effect was not observed after 1 month. A total of 18 complications were reported, 13 in the AIC group and 5 in the PT group. Four cadaveric studies were included, 3 favored PT on the quantity of bone graft harvested. Five cell-based studies were included, only one study favored AIC for quality of bone graft. Our study concludes that PT bone harvest is a reliable option for bone grafting regarding morbidity, complications, volume graft obtained, and cellular and molecular properties. However, the current evidence is still insufficient to draw definitive conclusions, especially in terms of bone healing. PROSPERO Register: CRD42020198150.

Keywords: bone grafting; bone transplantation, ilium; pelvic bones; tibia.