Localized Maxillary Ridge Augmentation With a Block Allograft for Dental Implant Placement: Case Reports

Localized Maxillary Ridge Augmentation With a Block Allograft for Dental Implant Placement: Case Reports
September 2003
Leonetti, Joseph A. DMD*; Koup, Richard DMD.
Implant Dentistry: Volume 12(3) September 2003
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
*Private practice, Paoli, Pennsylvania.
Reprint requests and correspondence to:
Joseph A. Leonetti, DMD
21 Industrial Boulevard
Suite 100
Paoli, PA 19301
Phone: (610) 644-6497
Abstract TOP
Autogenous block bone grafts have been highly successful in treating human periodontal defects, restoring esthetics, and developing adequate bone volume for dental implant placement. Limitations in available donor bone, the need for an added surgical procedure, and other potential complications have made the use of allogenic bone graft materials an important alternative. One patient described in this report presented with fractured root syndrome of the right maxillary incisor with severe resorption of the buccal plate. After atraumatic tooth extraction, a staged treatment approach involving localized ridge augmentation with an allogenic iliac bone block material and dental implant placement was used. The host bone completely incorporated the graft with only minor resorption, which enabled the implant to be placed. The allogenic bone block material used in this study was an effective alternative to harvesting and grafting autogenous bone for implant site development. The cases presented in this article clinically demonstrate the efficacy of using a block allograft in generating effective new bone fill for dental implant placement.
The availability of adequate bone volume for dental implant placement is often diminished by trauma, pathology, periodontal disease, and tooth loss. 1,2 Bone resorption in the maxillary ridge frequently results in a knife-edged deformity, which complicates implant placement and stabilization, particularly in the posterior jaw. Grafting with autogenous bone has been documented to be highly effective in reconstructing jaw anatomy, 3,4 restoring esthetics 5,6 and providing biomechanical support for the placement of dental implants. 7 Reported donor sites for harvesting autogenous bone include the calvarium, 8,9 iliac crest, 10-13 tibia, 14,15 fibula, 16 scapula, 17 symphysis, 7,18-24 and ramus buccal shelf. 7,25-36 Each donor site varies in the quality and quantity of bone available for harvesting (Table 1). 37 The use of block autografts is indicated primarily when an increase in ridge volume is desired, especially as part of implant site development.
Please visit the Web site to view the report in its entirety.