Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting in Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate: A Step-by-Step Video Series

Secondary alveolar bone grafting is one of the key surgical procedures performed to restore dental arch continuity and facilitate tooth eruption in patients with cleft lip and palate. Harvest of cancellous bone graft from the iliac crest has become the gold standard; however. there is no consensus regarding the ideal technique. An optimal bone harvest technique must be aimed at producing minimal donor-site morbidity and patient discomfort. The success of the bone grafting procedure depends largely on the surgical technique. To restore cleft alveolar defects, one must be able to conceptualize the different underlying aspects of the problem to perform an effective surgical repair. It is important for surgeons-in-service to adopt newer techniques that significantly enhance the overall outcome. This article describes two techniques of iliac bone harvest and the principles involved in execution of the alveolar bone grafting procedure. The accompanying four-part video series depicts the bone harvest, flap design, dissection of the recipient cleft alveolus, and bone grafting in a step-by-step manner.