Microarchitectural properties of compacted cancellous bone allografts: A morphology micro-computed tomography analysis

Massive bone loss poses a significant challenge in defect reconstruction. The use of compacted allografts is a valuable technique to reconstruct bone stock. This study aimed to assess the impact of compression on the microstructure of native cancellous bone chips with a micro-CT analysis.

Bone samples were harvested from 15 femoral heads donated by patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty. Bone chips were prepared using a bone mill. All samples with the same weight were compressed by 25% and 50% of their original volume and subsequently scanned with a micro-CT scanner to determine the microarchitectural morphology of the bone chips. Uniaxial compression test was carried out before and after a standardized compaction procedure.

Comparing the samples without compaction to 50%, the number of trabeculae doubled, the volume ratio doubled, and the trabeculae spacing was reduced, showing voids of 800 μm on average. The number of interlocking possibilities tripled, while no differences were seen in the trabeculae morphology. Uniaxial compression test showed a yield limit after compaction of 0.125 MPa.

Interlocking might occur three times more with a denser material than in a non-compacted sample. The increase in density comparable to manual intraoperative compaction did not lead to significant fragmentation of the allograft material. The assessed microarchitecture should, therefore, reassemble the intraoperative situation during a manual bone impaction procedure.