At some point in their lives, many people may require a bone graft, for dental implants. One option for obtaining the necessary bone is autogenous bone harvesting, which involves taking bone from the patient’s own body. This method has numerous advantages, faster healing time, decreased risk of infection and a reduced chance of the body rejecting the graft. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about autogenous bone harvesting.
What Is Autogenous Bone Harvesting?
Autogenous bone harvesting is a surgical procedure that involves removing bone from one part of a patient’s body and transplanting it to another area. This procedure is typically done by Dr Mechev with local anesthesia only, and the bone can be harvested safely from the corner of the mandibular/lower jaw- the area of the wisdom teeth . Once the correct size bone block is harvested , it is usually split into 2 thin bone pieces/plates .Those 2 bone plates are then thinned with a special instrument ( BoneScraper) to minimal thickness of 1 mm. Once the 2 bone plates are prepared they are fixed with stainless steel screws to the recipient site that needs bone grafting into the desired shape. The empty places of the shape is filled with the bone chips collected during the bone plates thinning process.
Autogenous Bone Harvesting: A Safer Surgical Procedure with Computer-Guided Bone Harvesting Guide – Safecut
Autogenous bone harvesting is a well-documented surgical procedure used to harvest bone grafts for use in various reconstructive procedures. This technique in dental implant dentistry involves the removal of bone from a donor site in the patient’s own body, which is then transplanted to the desired site. Although this procedure has been used for decades, it carries the risk of anatomical structural damage because the surgeon has no three-dimensional (3D) control of the osteotomy planes – the bone cutting lines done during the surgery . However, recent advancements in cone beam CT scan technology have led to the development of Computer-Guided Bone Harvesting guide Safecut, which is a safer and more efficient way of obtaining the precise size and volume of autogenous bone grafts.
Computer-Guided Bone Harvesting: A Safer Alternative
Computer-Guided Bone Harvesting – Safecut is the newest technique that uses computer-aided design (CAD) to plan the ideal bone osteotomy planes and generate a surgical guide. The surgical guide imposes the 3D working direction to the bone-cutting instrument, providing Dr Mechev with greater precision and control during the procedure. By using computer-guided bone harvesting, the risks of anatomical structural damage are significantly reduced, as the surgical guide ensures that the needed amount of bone is harvested precisely, avoiding injury to surrounding structures (nerves and blood vessels)
Planning the Bone Block Dimension
The precise bone block dimension is an essential consideration when planning a bone grafting procedure. In traditional autogenous bone harvesting, the bone block dimension is determined based on the surgeon’s estimation of the defect size. However, with computer-guided bone harvesting, the bone block dimension is planned through the CAD process, which takes into account not only of the size of the bone loss defect that needs to be treated but also the ideal bone osteotomy ( bone harvesting cutting) planes to avoid damage to anatomical structures and generate a surgical guide. The bone block dimension is always related to the defect dimension to be compensated, ensuring that the bone graft is of the exact size and shape for the bone loss defect that needs to be treated and augmented.
The Benefits of Computer-Guided Bone Harvesting
Computer-guided bone harvesting offers several advantages over traditional autogenous bone harvesting. First, the surgical guide ensures greater accuracy and control during the procedure, reducing the risks of anatomical structural damage. Second, the CAD process allows for more precise planning of the bone block dimension, ensuring that the bone graft is of the appropriate size and shape for the procedure. Third, computer-guided bone harvesting is a more efficient process, reducing the surgical time required for the procedure. Finally, the preliminary data from case series suggests that computer-guided bone harvesting is a safe and effective way of obtaining an appropriate volume of autogenous bone grafts.
Autogenous bone harvesting at La Mesa Dental center San Diego
Autogenous bone harvesting is a well-established surgical procedure used to harvest bone grafts for various reconstructive procedures. However, the risks of anatomical structural damage associated with this technique have led to the development of computer-guided bone harvesting guide. By using CAD to plan the ideal bone osteotomy lines and generate a surgical guide – Safecut,computer-guided bone harvesting provides Dr Mechev with greater accuracy and control during the procedure, reducing the risks of complications. Contact us today to book a consultation at (619) 337-2424