Inferior-border rib grafting for augmentation of the atrophic edentulous mandible

Use of inferior-border grafting eliminates many of the problems associated with transoral onlay graft procedures. With an inferior-border graft, the graft does not bear the direct pressure of a prosthesis and allows for increase in mandibular height without as much loss of vestibule as in a transoral graft. A skin-graft vestibuloplasty is performed 6 to 12 months after rib grafting but the patient can wear a denture in the interim.