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Facial bone grafts: Contemporary science and thought
1Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Health System, Ann Arbor, Mich., USA.
Background And Objectives:
The use of bone grafts is a vital component of a surgeon's armamentarium in the reconstruction of congenital and acquired deformities of the craniofacial region. A thorough understanding of bone graft physiology and the factors thought to affect graft behavior is essential in order to develop a more intelligent use of the grafts in clinical applications.
Methods And Materials:
This article presents a brief review of the basic physiology of bone grafts along with a survey of pertinent concepts and research currently available. Mechanical stress, rigid fixation, graft orientation, and the recipient sites are reviewed.
Results And/Or Conclusion:
In an attempt to bring together various issues that exist in current bone graft science, the authors propose new concepts. They suggest that the mechanical environment in which a bone graft is placed, revascularization of the graft, and the interaction between those two factors are the major predictors of clinical results.