A field of surgery focused on the treatment of diseases, injuries, and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region
Defects of the jaw bones have a variety of causes, such as: Eradication of pathologic conditions, Trauma, Infections, Congenital deformities
Defects in the oral and maxillofacial region
The size varies considerably, from small alveolar clefts to mandibulectomy or maxillectomy defects
The goals of successful reconstruction are to recreate normal oral function, provide a satisfactory cosmetic result, and permit prompt and careful follow-up
Oral cavity defects can extend to involve critical sites and cause significant functional disabilities in terms of airway, speech, swallowing, and/or mastication
Bone graft
A tissue that is transplanted and expected to become a part of the host to which it is transplanted
Bone healing and bone graft healing
1. New bone formation that arises from tissue regeneration rather than from simple tissue repair with scar formation
2. Requires cellular proliferation and collagen synthesis
Mechanisms of bone generation
Osteogenesis
Osteoinduction
Osteoconduction
Osteogenesis
The formation of new bone from living cells transplanted within the graft
Osteoinduction
New bone formation through the recruitment and stimulation of recipient site osteoprogenitor cells using bone growth factors transplanted within the grafted material
Osteoconduction
The physical process in which the graft acts as a 3D scaffold on which the cells are able to form new bone
Two-phase theory of osteogenesis
1. Phase I: Transplanted cells in the graft proliferate and form new osteoid
2. Phase II: Angiogenesis and fibroblastic proliferation from the graft bed, osteogenesis from host connective tissues
Types of bone grafts
Autogenous grafts
Allogeneic grafts
Xenogeneic grafts
Alloplasts
Autogenous grafts
Tissues from the same individual, the only type that can supply living, immunocompatible bone cells essential to phase I osteogenesis
Forms of autogenous bone grafts
Block grafts
Particulate marrow and cancellous bone grafts
Composite grafts
Block grafts
Solid pieces of cortical bone with or without underlying cancellous bone
Particulate marrow and cancellous bone grafts
Obtained by harvesting the medullary bone and the associated endosteum and hematopoietic marrow, produce the greatest concentration of osteogenic cells
Composite grafts
Autogenous bone grafts while maintaining their blood supply, the number of surviving osteogenic cells is potentially more
Methods of composite grafts
Pedicled flaps
Vascularized free tissue transfer
Advantages of autogenous grafts
Provide osteogenic cells for phase I bone formation
No immunologic response occurs
Disadvantages of autogenous grafts
Necessitate another site of operation for procurement of the graft (donor site morbidity)
Expansion and irregularity of bone
Allogeneic grafts
Grafts taken from another individual of the same species, recognized as a foreign substance by the host which will mount an intense response
Advantages of allogeneic grafts
Do not require another site of operation in the host
A bone of similar shape to that being replaced can be obtained
Disadvantages of allogeneic grafts
Do not provide viable cells for phase I osteogenesis
Rigorous screening of donors is required to reduce the risk of disease transmission
Xenogeneic grafts
Grafts taken from one species and grafted to another, the antigenic dissimilarity is greater than with allogeneic bone
Advantages of xenogeneic grafts
Do not require another site of operation in the host
Large quantity of bone can be obtained
Disadvantages of xenogeneic grafts
Do not provide viable cells for phase I osteogenesis
Must be rigorously treated to reduce antigenicity
Alloplasts
Alloplastic synthetic biomaterials with varying physicochemical properties, can be both degradable and nondegradable
Advantages of alloplasts
Do not require another site of operation in the host
Large quantity of bone can be obtained
Disadvantages of alloplasts
Do not provide viable cells for phase I osteogenesis
They are osteoconductive without any osteoinductive or osteogenic potential on their own
Adjuvants
Biologics used to enhance bone repair, including blood components, gene therapy, and recombinant proteins
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs)
Osteoinductive proteins that belong to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) family, capable of stimulating mesenchymal cells to become osteoblastic and form bone
Advantages of BMPs
Do not require another site of operation in the host
Disadvantages of BMPs
Do not provide viable cells for phase I osteogenesis
Require a carrier to maintain the BMP at the site of implantation
Platelet concentrates
Autologous platelet concentrates that provide a high concentration of growth factors to enhance wound healing and have a potential bone regenerative effect
Types of platelet concentrates
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF)
Concentrated growth factor (CGF)
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
The first generation of platelet concentrate, prepared by two-step centrifugation of collected blood with anticoagulant, promotes the release of growth factors for a short period (24 hours)
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF)
The second generation of platelet concentrates, prepared by a constant speed single-step centrifugation of collected blood without anticoagulant, possesses an anti-inflammatory effect and contributes to sustained and prolonged release of growth factors for more than seven days
Concentrated growth factor (CGF)
The third generation of platelet concentrates, prepared by a single step of centrifugation with alternate speed, induces a constant and sustained release of growth factors longer than PRP and PRF, which may last up to 14 days
Combination of bone grafts
Allogenic grafts as a scaffold that can provide the desired bulk and shape supplemented with autogenous particulate marrow and cancellous bone to provide the osteogenic cells necessary for phase I bone formation