Secondary alveolar bone grafting: our experience with olecranon bone graft

Management of alveolar cleft has dramatically changed during the last century: secondary alveolar bone grafting is now an integral part of cleft palate and craniofacial center's protocols. The objectives of alveolar repair and bone grafting are as follows: providing a continuous and stable maxillary dental arch, closure of oronasal fistulae, adequate bone for tooth eruption or orthodontic movement, and nasal base support, improving facial aesthetic. Although cancellous iliac bone is the donor site selected more frequently, bone grafts harvested from different sites have been advocated to decrease donor site morbidity.The aim of this study was to propose and evaluate the use of olecranon as a donor site in 24 patients with secondary alveolar cleft. The graft is taken as a single piece to fit the alveolar cleft defect, and it includes periosteum and corticocancellous bone to improve early vascularization and greater volume maintenance.