Technique for harvesting tibia bone grafts for reconstruction of the atrophic maxilla

Abstract

Autogenous cancellous bone grafting is a common procedure in implant surgery. A satisfactoryamount of autogenous cancellous bone graft can be obtained to reconstruct a severely atrophic maxilla.The most commonly used site for harvesting sufficient bone is the extraoral region, i. e., the iliac crest;however, open harvesting in this area usually results in many postoperative complications. To minimizethese complications, tibial bone is used as an alternative source of sufficient bone. Tibial bone can be harvestedwith the patient under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation, without general anesthesia. A curetteis used to harvest the graft at the lateral slope of the tibial tuberosity, there by obtaining 5g ofautogenous bone. Advantages of this technique include a shorter operation time and less blood loss thanconventional procedures. No major postoperative complications occurred with this technique.