Autologous bone graft harvested during implant site preparation: histological study

Aim: The bone particles harvested during osteotomy could be used as autogenous bone graft materials to correct a bony defect prior to implant placement. Methods: A simple surgical procedure was described in which autogenous bone was harvested from the drills during the preparation of implant sites. Eleven samples were obtained from bone drilling during fi xture installation in 11 patients (5 men and 6 women) with an average age of 57 years. These samples were subjected to histological preparation, in order to evaluate for the presence of viable osteoblasts. Results: Histological evaluation of the samples suggested that the viability of the bone tissue was maintained. Conclusion: The results show that this method of harvesting autogenous bone may be useful in situations where small amounts of bone are required.