[Bone distraction osteogenesis]

Bone osteogenesis has been used by many surgeons to compensate dissymmetry due to congenital malformations, diseases or traumas. Bone distraction is the process of generating new bone in a gap between two bone segments in response to the application of graduated tensile stress across the bone gap. Different types of distraction are actually proposed to be an alternative to facial osteotomies or bone grafting techniques. Distraction can be unilateral, bilateral and correct the deficiencies in one, two or three dimensions. The advantages of the distraction osteogenesis are the possibilities to obtain bone lengthening together with simultaneous expansion of the functional soft tissue matrix including skin, muscles, nerves, cartilage, blood vessels and periosteum. Distractors are internal or external devices made of pins or miniplates fixed on the bone and connected by lengthening--screw--systems allowing elongation.