Proximal tibia bone harvest: review of technique, complications, and use in maxillofacial surgery

Autologous bone grafts for alveolar ridge augmentation are the gold standard for restoring atrophic residual ridges in preprosthetic surgery. Many indications, donor sites, and techniques have been reported. The purpose of this article is to review the anatomy, surgical technique, and potential complications associated with proximal tibia bone harvest. A consecutive series of 44 patients who underwent proximal tibia bone graft harvest between 2000 and 2003 was studied by retrospective chart review. Five major and 7 minor complications were observed; overall morbidity was low. A significant amount of corticocancellous bone may be harvested from the proximal tibia with minimal morbidity.