Ease, harvesting, and accuracy of cancellous versus corticocancellous bone graft materials used in cleft alveolar bone grafting: A randomized controlled trial

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the difference between cancellous and corticocancellous bone graft harvested from the anterior iliac crest in the management of unilateral complete cleft alveolus patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 patients of unilateral complete cleft alveolus with age ranging from 7 to 15 years were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups. Group I comprises 10 patients treated with cancellous bone graft and Group II consists of 10 patients treated with corticocancellous bone graft. Trapdoor technique for cancellous and enblock removal for corticocancellous bone graft was done. Both the grafts were evaluated for ease of harvesting and handling and ease, adequacy, and accuracy of graft filling. Results: Harvesting and graft handling was easy in Group I patients, whereas in patients of Group II, it was moderate. In Group I, ease of graft filling was adequate in 90% of patients and acceptable in 10% of patients. In Group II, ease of graft filling was acceptable in 100% of patients. In Group I, the mean time required for bone harvesting was 9.28 ± 2.97 min, whereas in Group II, it was 15.00 ± 1.98 min. Accuracy of graft filling was adequate in both the groups, and no statically significant difference was found between both the groups in terms of accuracy of graft filling. Conclusion: Corticocancellous bone graft is equally good as cancellous bone graft and it can be used successfully as a substitute for cancellous bone graft.