Although we try to avoid it, sometimes in our lives accidents occur that lead to victims suffering broken bones. Most bone fractures will heal in two to ten weeks, but sometimes circumstances arise that won’t allow the fracture to heal properly without help. In that case, a bone graft might be required. There are several types of bone grafting procedures, including allograft, which grafts bone from a different donor, and autograft, which grafts bone from a different part of the patient’s body to fix the fracture. Bone grafts are used for bone repair, and might be necessary for a number of reasons. This article will take a look at several of those reasons.

• A Large Fracture Needs Help to Heal: One reason you might need to receive a bone graft for bone repair is because you’ve suffered a large fracture that needs help to heal. While most fractures don’t need this help to heal given enough time, some fractures end up causing pieces of bone to crumble away, essentially leaving an extra hole in the bone. Adding bone grafts to the fracture can help it heal properly, preventing the need to have future procedures done if the bone doesn’t heal properly This bone graft can be taken from your body, or the body of another donor.
• You’re Suffering from a Bone Disease: Another reason you might need to receive a bone graft is if you’re suffering from a bone disease. In this case, a bone disease might be osteoporosis or bone cancer, both of which can weaken the bones. A bone graft could inject healthy, viable bone matrix into an area of diseased bone via a bone graft delivery system and potentially inspire the bone to grow healthy new bone to replace or at least merge with the diseased portions to keep them stronger.
• Surgical Devices Need Help to Join to the Body: A third reason you might need to receive a bone graft is if you’ve had a surgical device implanted in your body, like a knee replacement. Bone grafts can be inserted around this device to stimulate bone repair and help the bones mesh with this device to allow it to work in the manner it was intended. Bone grafts can be taken from another part of your body and injected around the medical device for this purpose.

In conclusion, there are several reasons you might need to receive a bone graft over the course of your life. These reasons include if you have a large bone fracture that can’t heal without a bone graft. You might also need a bone graft if you’re suffering from some form of bone disease, or if you’ve had a surgical device implanted in your body to help that device better join to the body. These are all reasons you might need to receive a bone graft at some point in your life.