Experiments on the influence of oriented stress on bone formation replacing bone grafts.

A cleft maxilla is healed when it has the attributes of a normal maxilla. Experimental and clinical observations suggest that bone perimeters can be extended by biophysical stimuli induced through functional forces when the tissue is under tension. An experiment was designed to test whether the establishment of bone across the cleft is similarly influenced. Bone most consistently replaced split-rib grafts when tension was applied to the segments of surgically produced maxillary clefts. Additional observations on this model indicate that a suture can be developed in the bone bridge across the cleft margins. While the parameters are not established, the hypothesis cannot be rejected that tension facilitates the extension of bone inducing stimuli and influences the differentiation of tissue in intra-alveolar transplants.