Background: 

Repair of the alveolar cleft is essential for both functional and aesthetic reasons, particularly in syndromic individuals with inherited deformities. The aim of this work was to compare the outcomes of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and autogenous bone grafts in alveolar cleft grafting.

Methods: 

A total of 36 patients with alveolar clefts were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: group A, in which an autogenous iliac bone graft was used to fill the alveolar defect, and group B, in which nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite was used to fill the alveolar defect. All patients were evaluated with cone beam computed tomography at 6 months postoperatively.

Results: 

The main findings of the present study were that there were no significant differences in the baseline or perioperative data between the 2 groups. Group A had a significantly longer duration of surgery (100 ± 21.21 versus 61.38 ± 26.05 min; P = 0.02). Both groups had comparable postoperative success scores.

Conclusions: 

Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite, an alloplastic substitute, is a good graft material for alveolar cleft repair, reducing the risk of donor site morbidity, causing less pain, and resulting in shorter operative time and hospital stay.