Background: Numerous operative procedures around the foot and ankle use bone graft to augment healing. Autologous bone graft remains the preferred type for these procedures. This can be harvested from the iliac crest, but complications are frequent. The purpose of our study was to investigate the option of harvesting the bone graft from the ipsilateral distal tibia or calcaneus.
Method: Bone graft was harvested in 114 patients from the distal tibia (70 patients) or calcaneus (44 patients). The patients were followed postoperatively for an average of 16 (range 5 to 28) months and were evaluated for complications (minor and major), satisfaction, and healing rates.
Results: There were no major complications. Ten patients (8.7%) had minor complications including initial incisional sensitivity or local numbness, none of which affected function or required additional treatment. Satisfaction rate for the procedure was 100%.
Conclusion: Use of autologous bone graft harvested from the ipsilateral distal tibia or calcaneus is a safe and reliable alternative to iliac crest bone graft harvest for operative procedures of the foot and ankle.