Mandibular reconstruction with free bone grafts

The ideal method for replacing lost mandibular bone would be to induce growth of host replacement bone that could bridge a defect by means of bone induction. In the coming years, both bone morphogenetic protein and guided tissue regeneration will certainly gain a lot of interest. For the time being, the best method of grafting is still autogenous bone, provided there is a suitable donor site, sufficient bone, and a vascularized graft bed. This review outlines different sources and methods for bone grafting. The possibility of using different substitutes for bone is also discussed, as a number of articles have recently dealt with this problem.