Chronic Pain

Chronic pain after iliac crest bone grafting is one of the more common complications reported. Fernyhough et al[18] reported a 29% incidence of chronic pain. Whereas a number of causes may exist for chronic pain, most cases probably result from occult nerve injury or destabilization of the muscular origin at the time of harvest. These patients should be examined carefully for correctable causes of discomfort. In the series of Fernyhough et al,[18] the likelihood of chronic discomfort was more closely linked to the preoperative diagnosis than to the surgical approach. If a correctable cause of chronic pain cannot be found, these patients may benefit from referral to a chronic pain management center.