Background: Autogenous bone grafts remain the "gold standard" in maxillofacial reconstructive procedures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the proximal tibia as a donor site of cancellous bone for bone grafting procedures of the mandible on the basis of intraoperative parameters and clinical observations.
Methods: The study was based on a medical record search of 40 patients who underwent surgical procedures because of benign pathological lesions of the jaws resulting in 3-wall bone defects of the mandible and qualified for surgical removal of the lesion with simultaneous bone grafting of the defect with autogenous cancellous bone harvested from the proximal tibia.
Results: The use of the proximal tibia for bone grafting procedures enables large amounts of cancellous bone (15.09 cc in average) to be obtained. The procedure is characterized by a low risk of early and late complications, which include excessive bleeding, wound infection, lengthy healing time, scars, a loss of sensation around the scars, aching, a dip in bone, swelling and tenderness.
Conclusions: The ability to obtain large amounts of cancellous bone and a low risk of intra- and postoperative complications make the proximal tibia an attractive donor site for the bone grafting procedures in maxillofacial surgery.
Keywords: alveolar bone regeneration; bone grafting; jawbone reconstruction; mandible; odontogenic cyst; tibia.