Severe Bone Resorption Following Allogenic Bone Block Augmentation: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Allogeneic bone graft has been suggested to be a quite propitious alternative bone substitute to autograft. However, controlled clinical trials with adequate samples, including meticulous bone gain measurements, histological evaluations, and long-term clinical and radiographic assessments of inserted dental implants have not yet been conducted to evaluate the abovementioned assumption. This case report presents a patient for whom allogeneic bone block grafting with a guided bone regeneration procedure had been performed in order to improve the horizontal dimension of atrophic maxillary edentulous ridge. Following an uneventful 8-month healing period, though not obvious clinically, tomography images revealed a great amount of resorption, suggesting the replacement of bone graft with soft tissue. Histologic evaluation revealed no evidence of active bone formation. A mass of connective fibrous tissue was infiltrated with inflammatory cells. In between, the presence of trabecular bony structures with a distribution of empty lacunae was illustrative of graft remnants.