Iliac bone graft for steroid-associated osteonecrosis of the femoral condyle.

The use of steroid medication may predispose to osteonecrosis of the femoral condyle. However, there is a controversy regarding treatment of this disease, especially for lesions in advanced stages. Since 1987, the authors have treated such lesions by autologous osteoperiosteal graft obtained from the iliac bone. When limb alignment was affected by the disease, proximal tibial valgus or varus osteotomy was done concomitantly. The rationale for this method is to replace the necrotic bone and damaged cartilage by autogenous bone and periosteum, anticipating the chondrogenic potential of the latter. In this study, 10 knees in eight patients were reviewed to learn the outcome of this procedure with a mean followup of 79 months (range, 32-158 months). The grafts were incorporated successfully in nine joints, and satisfactory results were achieved in all patients. Therefore autologous iliac bone graft is a promising alternative for treatment of osteonecrosis, especially when patients are young and physically active.