Autogenous cancellous or cortical bone grafts are vvidely used in spinal surgery. To assess the donor site mor-bidity after these operations, out of 89 surgically treated scoliosis patients between 1.1.1986 and 31.12.1991, 22 patients in whom autografts had been harvested from posterior iliac crests and with a follow-up period of longer than 1 year were reevaluated cliically and radiologically in regards of cosmetic appearence, pain, excessive bone formation, iliac crest regeneration and ilian epiphysis disturbance. 5 of these patients were male and 17 female. Mean age at the time of operation was 15.5 andmean follow-up period was 37.8 months.
The donor sites were not detectable when compared with contralateral iliac bones except one from which bi-cortical graft had been taken. There was a palpable defect in this patient without herniation. Neither epiphyscal disturbance, nor excessive bone growth were observed in any of the patients. Two patients had mild subjective pain of the operation site and in another patient paresthesia was found on the incision site in physical examination. Based on the radiological data, rehan/esting was found to be possible in 21 of 22patients (% 95.4) and satisfactory spinal fusion was obtained in ali patients.