Coralline porous hydroxylapatite as a bone graft substitute in orthognathic surgery

This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the use of coralline porous hydroxylapatite as a bone graft substitute in orthognathic surgery. Ninety-two consecutive patients received a total of 355 block implants to the maxilla (294), mandible (41), and midface (20). There were 202 implants positioned directly adjacent to the maxillary sinus. Complications were minimal, the most common being exposure of the implant to the oral or nasal cavity. Histologic evaluation of implants that were biopsied in nine patients, four to 16 months postsurgery, revealed connective tissue ingrowth throughout the implants with approximately one-third being bone of variable maturity and two-thirds being soft tissue.