In 22 cases of anterior surgery of the spine an iliac crest graft was used to fill in the spaces created by multiple discectomies in Scheuermann's disease or the defect created in the anterior spine in a variety of different etiologies.
The iliac crest graft was used for this purpose in stead of ribbone because it has mechanical advantages and promotes faster and better bone healing compared to ribbone.
The resected rib, harvested during the anterior approach to the spine was used to bridge the defect in the iliac crest. This procedure gave consistently good results with little or no pain experience at follow-up.
Some irregularity may persist after this procedure, but this radiological finding does not pose a problem in clinical practice.