Osteogenic Distraction - Clinical Case

Introduction: Osteogenic distraction is a surgical technique that consists in the separation of a bone surface into two vascularized parts that are gradually separated in a controlled manner using a device called distractor. This technique is an alternative when the defect is very large making it difficult and unpredictable to use a conventional bone graft to solve it. The aim of this clinical poster is to describe a case where a patient was subjected to this approach. Presentation of the clinical case: A 21 years old female patient, came to the Institute of Orthodontics in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, looking for orthodontic treatment for correction of the malocclusion and for correction of the bilateral cleft palate. The treatment plan consisted on the placement of fixed appliances with Roth 0,18 prescription and distractor. Discussion: Through this therapy it was possible to achieve a good clinical result. Good gingival tissue volume and cleft closure were obtained. This technique is an efficient method in situations in which the bone and tissue defect is very extensive and where the predictability of a conventional bone graft is lower. The osteogenic distraction is an efficient method, by allowing the progressive formation of new bone tissue and simultaneously soft tissue adaptation. Conclusion: Osteogenic distraction is an efficient technique for extensive cleft palate reduction, helping the closure of the cleft and allows the conclusion of the orthodontic treatment. Keywords: cleft palate, osteogenic distraction, orthognathic surgery