Comparison of complications after bone removal from lateral and medial plates of the anterior ilium for mandibular augmentation.

6 patients whose mandibles were to be augmented with autogenous bone were divided into 2 groups of 3 patients each. In one group, autogenous donor bone was harvested from the medial plate of the anterior ilium, whereas in the second group bone was harvested from the lateral plate. Although some clinicians have asserted that there is less morbidity when bone is harvested from the medial plate, no difference between the 2 groups was noted in the length of hospitalization, amount of blood loss during surgery, incidence of seroma development, or need for a cane or walker. The decision to remove bone from the lateral or medial plates should be based on surgical access rather than incidence of complications.