Influence of Venous Stasis on Heterotopic Formation of Bone

The question of the influence of circulatory changes on the healing of bone has been discussed by many authors with conflicting opinions. Pearse and Morton 1 and McMaster and Roome 2 have offered experimental evidence that the healing of defects of bones is accelerated by venous stasis. On the other hand, sympathectomy, with its increased flow of blood in the extremity, has been empirically advocated in the treatment of fractures by Leriche, 3 Colp and Mage 4 and others. Pearse and Morton, 5 Key and Moore 6 and McMaster and Roome 2 found no experimental confirmation of the value of such therapy. Clinically, certain atrophies of bone are explainable on the basis of arterial hyperemia (Greig 7 ). Harris 8 listed several conditions known to cause hypertrophy and lengthening of the bones of children in which various degrees of venous stasis exist. Formation of bone may be initiated by the transplantation