BONE SWEET BONE – REPLACING LOST OR DAMAGED BONE
By Dr Carlo Ferretti
Of all our body features, the one that imparts to us the characteristic of individuality is our face. The facial skeleton forms the bedrock on which the drape of skin lies and thus changes to this skeleton have profound influence on both the form function of our face. Bone may be lost as a result of injury, a disease process, or surgical removal due to bone tumours.
The replacement of missing bone to reestablish the form of the face and the various functions it subsumes is a cornerstone of treatment. Moreover, the burgeoning requirement for the replacement of missing teeth with osseointegrated dental implants has required the evolution of a large array of bone replacement techniques to repair the considerable jaw bone loss associated with the loss of teeth. Maxillofacial and Oral surgeons are intimately involved in repairing damage to the facial skeleton which may involve the replacement of missing skeleton by bone grafting.
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