Bone morphogenetic proteins in craniomaxillofacial surgery.

Craniomaxillofacial surgery has many indications for bone regeneration and augmentation, ranging from socket preservation to reconstruction of large skeletal defects. The discovery of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) as osteoinductive agents and the subsequent development of commercially available recombinant forms of BMPs have offered the potential to replace traditional grafting techniques with de novo bone formation. Extensive preclinical and clinical research has focused on establishing the safety and efficacy of using recombinant BMPs to regenerate bone in the facial skeleton. This article reviews the development and current scientific basis behind the use of these new biologics.