Cephalometric study on profile change following chin block procurement

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the profile change following chin block procurement without coverage any type of barrier membrane over the donor defect. Materials and methods: Fifteen consecutive patients who had chin bone harvesting for alveolar ridge augmentation prior to implant placement, were enrolled in this clinical study. The average post-operative follow up was more than one year. All donor sites were explored through a vestibular incision. At the end of bone procurement, the donor defect at the mandibular symphysis area was packed only with resorbable collagen sponge (gelfoam) without using any kind of barrier membrane. The outlines of the chin profile were assessed by the pre-operative and post-operative cephalometric radiographs. All hand graphic data were submitted for a novel design of computer-assisted analysis. Results: Bone regeneration of the donor defect was not yet complete at the end of follow-up, however, the chin profile did not change significantly. Moreover, none of the patients subjectively claimed unpleasant change of their chin contour. Conclusion: We conclude that there is no clinical significance on the change of chin profile after symphyseal block harvesting without placing any kind of barrier membrane for the donor defect.