Evaluation of the success of anterior iliac crest harvested bone graft in reconstruction of different jaw defects: a retrospective study

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the success of bone grafts obtained from the anterior iliac crest, the recipient and donor site complications in the reconstruction of jaw defects caused by different etiologies in maxillofacial surgery. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University between 2012-2022. It included patients with iliac crest harvested bone grafts due to jaw defect with full records. The primary predictive variable was the type of jaw defect. The primary outcomes were the presence of complications at donor and recipient sites. Secondary outcomes were length of hospital stay and type of complications at donor and recipient sites. The obtained data were analyzed with Kruskal Wallis Test, Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: This study included 104 (44 female, 60 male) patients. Complication rate was 21.15%. There was no statistically significant relationship between the type of jaw defect and the success of iliac bone grafts (p=0.257). The most common recipient site complication was resorption in alveolar atrophy groups, the dehiscence in alveolar cleft groups, infection in other reason groups. There was no statistically significant relationship between type of jaw defect and complication types (p=0.524). Conclusion: The results of the study demonstrate that general success rate was 78.85% in jaw reconstruction with anterior iliac crest harvested bone grafts. The major complication rate causing total graft loss was 13.46%. There was no statistically significant relationship between the type of jaw defect and the success of iliac bone grafts.