Use of a Cutting Instrument for Fresh Osteochondral Distal Tibia Allograft Preparation: Treatment of Glenoid Bone Loss

Abstract

Glenoid bone loss presents a major risk for glenohumeral instability that has been well recognized as a cause of instability recurrence after attempted Bankart repair, and although most surgeons consider the Latarjet procedure as the gold standard, failures can occur with this technique as well and the search for alternative grafts to address glenoid bone loss is a major topic of ongoing research in the field. Of these techniques, the distal tibia allograft (DTA) has been shown to provide an excellent option to restore glenoid biomechanics, due to its congruency with the humeral head, dense bony quality, and the facility of harvest. The correct preparation of the DTA is essential to provide the most anatomic reconstruction possible and to avoid damage to the graft. The purpose of this Technical Note is to present our technique for cutting the DTA in detail, using a special workstation to optimize this procedure.