Block allograft for reconstruction of alveolar bone ridge in implantology: a systematic review.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the literature regarding clinical efficacy and predictability of block allograft for restoration of vertical and/or horizontal bone defects.

Materials And Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane databases about studies reporting the use of block allografts. The review included studies published in English from 1960 to 2011 and excluded single-case reports and articles that did not use block allograft stabilized by fixation screws.

Results: The search revealed 567 articles, but only 14 were included, which were conducted in humans with a total of 194 patients treated with block allografts, totalizing 253 blocks.

Conclusions: Although a high success rate has been reported for the bone allograft survival, this systematic review demonstrated low level of scientific evidence articles with short follow-up time and diversified methodology with difficult possibilities to compare their results.