Secondary bone grafting of alveolar clefts: a densitometric comparison of iliac crest and tibial bone grafts.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate changes in the optical density of secondary alveolar cleft bone grafts obtained from two different donor sites over time and to determine whether one donor site gives a higher recipient bone density than the other.

METHODS

A prospective study was performed evaluating 40 healthy patients with congenital cleft lip and palate undergoing secondary alveolar bone grafting, 20 (14 boys and 6 girls) having iliac crest and 20 (12 boys and 8 girls) receiving tibial bone grafts. Bone harvest and grafting was carried out by one operator (G.P.). Optical density of iliac and tibial grafts measured using a computerized densitometer, was compared at 6 days, 6 weeks, and 3 months. Due to interference from orthodontic appliances, optical density measurements for 16 subjects were not possible, and these patients were excluded from the study. The length of hospital stay postoperatively for both grafting procedures were recorded.

RESULTS

A significant decrease in relative bone density was demonstrated during the 3-month postoperative period in both iliac and tibial bone graft groups (p < .05). The difference in densities between iliac crest and tibial groups were not significantly different at any of the time points (paired t test, p > .05). Subjects undergoing iliac crest grafts stayed an average of 5 days in the hospital postoperatively, compared with subjects with tibial grafts who stayed an average of 3 days postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

Optical density measurements of bone grafted into alveolar clefts, reported here for the first time, provide a valuable objective assessment of graft progress. Tibial and iliac crest grafts gave similar optical densities at recipient sites over the first 3 months. Iliac crest grafts required significantly longer postoperative stay; an important consideration in selecting donor sites for secondary bone grafting.