Bone graft harvesting using the RIA (reaming irrigation aspirator) system – a quantitative assessment

Abstract

On the basis of our present results, harvesting intramedullary bone graft with the RIA system appears to be an innovative technique for bone grafting in limb reconstruction. A significantly greater quantity of bone graft was harvested from the femora than the tibiae (p = 0.007). No significant differences among age, sex, body weight, bone length, or BMI were observed. Our results showed that a sufficient quantity in weight of autogenous bone graft could be obtained using the RIA system.

Use of the reamer–irrigator–aspirator technique to obtain autograft for ankle and hindfoot arthrodesis

“…If a larger reamer is selected caution should be used; in small patients a larger reamer may weaken the cortex. Therefore, if more graft is needed, the use of traditional sites, 1,6-14 RIA-derived graft from other long bones 33,34 or the addition of allograft bone may have to be considered. When used to acquire bone graft, the overall cost of this system is about US$770 to US$800, with an addition of about US$300 if a second reamer head is used.…”

Comparison of Free Fibular Flaps With Reamer-Irrigator-Aspirator Bone Grafts for the Reconstruction of Critical-Sized Mandibular Defects

“…The RIA technique has been well characterized in the clinical reconstruction of bony defects, although not in the craniofacial skeleton. 29 On average, 40 to 90 mL of RIA putty can be obtained, 28 which has been used in the reconstruction of 6-cm axillary skeletal defects. 28 The RIA device provides bone graft material (ie, putty) from the femur in a quantity that exceeds the amount that can be acquired from the iliac crest.…”

Innovative strategies for the management of long bone infection: a review of the Masquelet technique

“…Bone graft can be harvested from a number of locations, including the iliac crest, proximal tibia and calcaneus. Use of the RIA system from the femur is preferred and portends less morbidity than iliac crest bone graft harvesting [ 41 – 43 ]. Furthermore, RIA aspirate has been shown to contain osteoprogenitor cells and tissue growth-factors (BMP-2, FGF-2, IGF-1, and TGF-β) that may accelerate bone repair [ 44 , 45 ].…”

“…In a prospective study of 10 subjects, Sagi et al determined that aspirate obtained from medullary canal of the femur via RIA contained significantly higher levels of osteoinductive compounds compared to conventional iliac crest bone graft harvests [ 45 ]. A cadaveric study by Kovar et al further determined a significantly greater quantity of bone graft to be harvestable from the medullary canal of the femur compared to the tibia using RIA reaming [ 41 ].…”