Abstract
It is desirable to use bone substitutes during secondary alveolar bone grafting in patients with cleft lip and palate. One of the main advantages of these grafts is the avoidance of a second surgical site for autogenous bone harvesting.
This report presents the case of a 13-year-old boy with cleft lip and palate of the left side. The patient underwent secondary alveolar bone grafting at the age of 7 years and 10 months. Octacalcium phosphate collagen composite （OCPCol）, a bone substitute material developed at Tohoku University, was placed in the alveolar cleft prior to the eruption of the permanent canines. Three years after surgery （age, 10 years and 10 months）, the permanent canines erupted spontaneously through the alveolar bone. Bone formation at the cleft site was facilitated by the eruption of the canines and adequate bone volume was observed.
Orthodontic treatment was initiated to align the maxillary dentition. The alveolar bone bridge was maintained and no bone resorption was seen at the cleft site after the eruption of canines. An increase in the vertical growth of the maxilla was observed 5 years after surgery.
In this case, the surgical outcomes were similar to autogenous bone grafts with regard to bone stability and postoperative occlusal management. The results of this report demonstrate that OCPCol may be a viable alternative in patients with cleft lip and palate.
