The fate of fat transplants in operations for partial closure of the growth plate. Clinical examples and an experimental study.

The cavities left after resection of bone bridges for partial closure of growth plates in children have commonly been filled with free fat grafts. Such cavities have been seen to elongate and thus enlarge during growth after the operation, but the fate of the grafts has been unknown. Similar cavities, made in the tibiae of growing pigs were filled with autogenous fat and studied by radiography for periods of up to 9 1/2 months. These cavities elongated in a manner similar to those in the clinical cases, and histological section showed them to be filled with living adipose tissue. The volume of this tissue had continuously increased in parallel with the growth in length of the bone. The fate of the grafts used in children may be similar to that seen experimentally.