The homologous bone graft is fundamental in bone cancer surgery. Bone transplants or massive bone grafts are applied for a full substitution of a large portion of the appendicular skeleton (i.e. long bones or pelvis) and the axial skeleton (i.e. vertebras) or the full joint surface along with the capsular ligamentous insertions.
Such grafts can be intercalary (i.e. partial substitution of the diaphysis) or osteoarticular (i.e. substitution of one of the joint components that can also be associated with replacement prosthetics). In young patients, when it is possible, and growth of the substituted bone is required, it can be engrafted a long bone from a deceased donor together with an autologous vascularized bone graft. For example, in the “vascularized fibula” technique, invented by Professor Mario Campanacci; in the case of a tumour of the tibia or femur, inside the homologous graft is inserted the autologous fibula graft, taken from the contralateral limb with a vascularized peduncle and engrafted following the vascularized connection. The homologous bone guarantees support to the autologous one. This kind of engrafting process can also be defined as an autologous-homologous transplant.