Objective: To evaluate the influence of cleft type and width, canine eruption stage, and surgeon on the outcomes of alveolar graft with rhBMP-2.
Design: Cross-sectional.
Setting: Tertiary craniofacial center.
Participants: Ninety individuals submitted to alveolar graft in late mixed or early permanent dentition.
Interventions: The 90 individuals (mean age: 16.8 years) were submitted to alveolar graft with rhBMP-2. Periapical radiographs were obtained before and 6 months after surgery. Surgeries were performed by 4 experienced maxillofacial surgeons. The alveolar grafts were assigned as success or failure by 3 blinded raters based on the modified Bergland and Chelsea scales. Permanent canines adjacent to the defect were assigned as erupted and not erupted. The greatest cleft width was measured on preoperative periapical radiographs.
Main outcome measures: The influence of 4 independent variables (cleft type, cleft width, canine eruption phase, and surgeon) on the outcome of alveolar graft was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression ( P < .05).
Results: All independent variables presented significant influence on alveolar graft outcome. The subgroup of unerupted maxillary canines demonstrated better outcomes than erupted canines ( P = .001). The group with cleft lip and alveolus (CL/A) demonstrated better outcomes than complete cleft lip and palate (CLP; P < .001). The greater the alveolar cleft width, the less favorable were the graft outcomes ( P = .027). The surgeon also had a significant influence on the surgery success ( P = .003 and .001).
Conclusion: The type and width of CLP, the eruption of permanent canines, and the surgeon influenced the outcome of alveolar graft surgeries performed with rhBMP-2.
Keywords: bone transplantation; cleft lip; cleft palate; rhBMP-2.