Is bone grafting must ?

My father(age 51) met with an accident and he had suffered a fracture in his neck of left humerus and he underwent for surgery 5 weeks ago. Now the surgeon is suggesting to go for Bone Grafting. Is bone grafting must? how long can we wait for bone healing ? Are there any alternative for bone grafting?

Thanks.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Since it has just been 5 weeks since the surgery, bone graft would not be suggested at this time and we can wait for a few more weeks (8-12) to check if healing takes place on its own. Also a detailed evaluation should be carried out to look for secondary causes that could hamper healing such as inappropriate alignment, infections, foreign bodies, smoking etc. Bone stimulators may be a good option at this time. If there are no signs of healing after a minimum of 8-12 weeks, despite adequate treatment, bone grafting may be considered.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Since it has just been 5 weeks since the surgery, bone graft would not be suggested at this time and we can wait for a few more weeks (8-12) to check if healing takes place on its own. Also a detailed evaluation should be carried out to look for secondary causes that could hamper healing such as inappropriate alignment, infections, foreign bodies, smoking etc. Bone stimulators may be a good option at this time. If there are no signs of healing after a minimum of 8-12 weeks, despite adequate treatment, bone grafting may be considered.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!