Morbidity of anterior iliac crest and calvarial bone donor graft sites: a 1-year randomized controlled trial.

Autogenous bone graft harvesting is still commonly considered the gold standard for the reconstruction of a severely resorbed maxillary alveolar ridge; however, the preferred donor site remains a subject of debate. This study compared the morbidity of calvarial and iliac crest donor sites after harvesting. Twenty edentulous patients with an insufficient volume of maxillary bone for reliable implant placement were assigned randomly to either calvarial (n=10) or anterior iliac crest (n=10) bone harvesting groups. All patients underwent a maxillary sinus floor elevation procedure combined with widening of the alveolar process using buccal bone blocks. Donor site morbidity was assessed before, during, and at 1year after the surgery through patient questionnaires, physical examination, and medical records. No perioperative complications occurred. The anterior iliac crest group reported minor postoperative pain after harvesting. The scars after calvaria harvesting were significantly longer (P=0.003), but this was not bothersome for the group of patients. Long-term pain was negligible and satisfaction was high in both groups. Both the calvaria and anterior iliac crest are associated with low long-term donor site morbidity and high patient satisfaction. Thus, patient-centred decision-making is appropriate when selecting the preferred harvesting method for that patient.

A prospective study on the morbidity resulting from calvarial bone harvesting for intraoral reconstruction.

Calvarial bone grafts are used for reconstruction of the maxilla or mandible to enable implant placement. The aim of this study was to assess the morbidity resulting from the use of calvarial bone grafts to reconstruct the maxilla and mandible. Thirty-six consecutive patients were included in this prospective study (14 men and 22 women; mean age 59 ± 8.2 years). Perioperative and postoperative complications related to harvesting of the calvarial bone were scored, as well as the occurrence of intraoral complications (average follow-up 25 ± 12 months). Perioperative exposure of the dura occurred in four patients and the graft broke during harvesting in five patients. With a change in the technique, these complications no longer occurred. Postoperative pain levels at the calvarial donor site were low (visual analogue scale (VAS) 1.9 ± 2.0 on day 1) and of short duration (5.2 ± 4.7 days to becoming pain-free). In all cases sufficient bone could be harvested to enable the placement of implants. The exposure of the dura and the intraoral complications were of no clinical consequence. Therefore, calvarial bone grafts appear to be promising for use in pre-implant intraoral reconstructions.