A clinical study of changes in the volume of bone grafts in the atrophic maxilla.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the volumetric changes in bone grafts to the severely atrophic edentulous maxilla over 6 months.

METHODS

Ten edentulous patients received autogenous bone as buccal onlay grafts to the maxilla and bilaterally particulate bone grafts to the maxillary sinus. Two mm contiguous axial CT scans were obtained 1 to 2 weeks and 6 to 7 months postoperatively. The area of each graft was measured and the volume calculated according to the formula V(graft)=Sigma of areas x the thickness of each section.

RESULTS

The volume of the inlay and onlay grafts was reduced by an average of 49.5 and 47% respectively of the initial volume. The coefficient of variation was greater in the onlay group (0.79) compared with the inlay group (0.38).

CONCLUSIONS

The volumetric changes in buccal onlay and sinus inlay grafts after 6 months of healing seem similar although there was a wide range in both groups.