Purpose: The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate the efficiency of alveolar ridge reconstruction with the lateral border of scapula (LBS) prior to implant placement and to assess onlay graft retention and bone resorption during a short term of function.
Materials and Methods: A total of 25 partially or fully edentulous patients with severe alveolar bone atrophy received ridge reconstruction with grafts harvested from the LBS. Histologic analysis of bone grafts was performed. Six months after augmentation, patients underwent CBCT and received dental implants. After another 3 months, healing abutments and implant-supported dentures were placed. Patients were followed for an average of 24 months.
Results: Thirteen patients received primary bone grafting from LBS. Twelve patients experienced unsuccessful ridge reconstruction with other grafts before and were secondarily augmented with LBS. The average dimensions of LBS grafts were 6.3 × 2.3 × 1.2 cm. Histologic analysis confirmed the cortical nature of the graft. No donor-site complications occurred, and arm movements were restored within 2 weeks. Following augmentation, two patients had sutures disrupted that healed uneventfully after revision. The average resorption of LBS grafts after 6 months was 12.2% ± 3.0%. At the time of implant placement, the dimension of the ridge was 12.3 ± 2.0 mm and 6.9 ± 1.6 mm in height and width, respectively. The survival rate of the 174 implants placed was 98.3%.
Conclusion: LBS can be used as an alternative extraoral grafting site for extensive ridge reconstruction prior to implant placement.