Reconstruction of severe maxillary or mandibular defects with fresh frozen bone

Cases presentation: Implant placement requires an adequate quantity and quality of alveolar bone. In case of severe maxillary or mandibular atrophy, several options are available to fill the alveolar defect: autologous, homologous or heterologous grafts or synthetic products. Each of these materials has advantages and disadvantages; currently homologous bone, provided by bone banks, is often used because of its immunological and viral safety. A total of 25 patients had been treated with fresh-frozen bone (FFB): 15 patients underwent reconstruction through tricortical iliac crest, while 10 through femoral bone. After a mean post-grafting period of 6 months for the ilaiac bone and 9 months for the femur, 20 patients underwent implant surgery. After an additional month, 16 of these have also delivered the final prosthetic restoration. Patients, who completed the implant loading time, were followed in a standardized clinical method for up to 9,25 months (range, 2-18 months). Results: All surgical phases were carried out following the standard protocols used for bone augmentation. Endosseous implants were placed adequately and bone biopsies were performed. In our sample we reported 1 post-operative tissue necrosis, 1 graft resorption, because of the delayed implant insertion time, and 23 positive results. Conclusion: Our experience, although limited in term of number of patients and follow up period, is certainly positive. This surgical procedure has been shown to be a predictable and reliable method for rehabilitation of patients with extreme resorption of the alveolar ridge. The use of homologous bone presents several potential advantages: cheap, available in unlimited amount, reduced surgical procedures and safe.