A new "platinum" standard for bone grafting: autogenous stem cells.

Autogenous bone has long been considered the gold standard of all bone grafting materials. However, complications have been associated with autogenous bone-harvesting procedures. This article suggests that an alternative approach, grafting with autogenous bone marrow aspirate, may become a new platinum standard. Bone marrow can be extracted from the large flat bones of the body with relative ease and safety, and it provides a rich source of adult stem cells as well as growth factors that facilitate osteogenesis. Mixed with a resorbable matrix or scaffold, bone marrow aspirate has the potential to reconstitute various bony defects in the mouth to reconstruct the severely atrophic maxilla and mandible. The potentiality and plasticity of stem cells have been well documented.