Bone grafting of cleft lip and palate patients for placement of endosseous implants

Fixation of a prosthesis or single tooth replacement using osseointegrated implants has the potential to overcome functional and psychological inconveniences that many patients experience from such appliances. However, the dimensions of the recipient site are relatively often inadequate for implant placement. This study assessed grafting of this site with autogenous bone as a solution for the latter problem.

Ten cleft lip and palate patients had bone grafts; six had iliac crest grafts to the maxillary sinus floor (31 implants), and four had chin bone grafts to the local defect in the anterior maxilla (six implants). Implants were inserted during the grafting procedure (one patient) or after 3 months (nine patients).

No inflammation of the bone grafts or the maxillary sinus occurred. One implant was lost during the healing phase. Four single tooth restorations, one fixed bridge, and five implant-supported overdentures were made. During the follow-up, which was 47 months (range, 28 to 65 months) in the anterior maxilla group and 56 months (range, 28 to 68 months) in the posterior maxilla group, no loss of implants was observed, and all prosthetic appliances functioned well.

It is concluded that bone grafting followed by placement of dental implants can serve as a reliable alternative for conventional prosthetic rehabilitation of cleft patients.