[Inflammatory granuloma of iliac bone harvest site: a rare complication of Horsley bone wax].

Bone wax or Horsley wax, which is used very frequently in bone surgery, is a non-absorbable mixture of beeswax (70%) and Vaseline. It permits the haemostasis of bone gaps by mechanical obstruction of bone pores containing blood capillaries. Complications due to this product are rare but sometimes quoted in literature. We report the case of a 17-year-old patient who, 10 months after surgery and after an asymptomatic period, presented an inflammatory granuloma at the scar of iliac bone harvest, which had been used as a maxillary graft. This complication necessitated a first exploratory and cleansing surgery, as well as a second surgery, which clarified the origin of the inflammation and made it possible to eliminate the wax remains. We think that bone wax should be used sparingly and with caution, firmly applied to the bleeding site without leaving any free particles.