Long-term follow up of transoral rib grafts for mandibular atrophy.

Nineteen patients who had autologous rib grafts for mandibular augmentation were monitored for six to 13 years to evaluate the rate of resorption as a function of time. Data were collected from panoramic radiographs that were corrected for distortion. The findings indicated that rapid resorption occurs during the first two years after grafting and decreases markedly thereafter. Although some prolonged benefits resulted from the procedure, it was concluded that it is not an ideal solution to the problem of ridge augmentation.