Rehabilitation of grossly deficient mandibles with combined subperiosteal implants and bone grafts.

1. This study has described the osseous reconstruction of deficient edentulous ridges in adult rhesus monkeys. The rebuilt osseous ridges did not resorb under complete prosthetic function over a 4 month period. 2. Remodeling of the graft proceeded along the usually observed patterns with mature cortices forming in the grafted areas within 6 months. 3. This procedure has been duplicated for clinical patients with reasonably good results, restoring function in otherwise untenable prosthetic situations whic had been refractory to other types of prosthetic and surgical treatment. 4. In the future, this method of marrow-bone grafting with a simultaneous subperiosteal implant may restore function in many edentulous patients who have experienced extreme resorption over the mandibular ridge and in whom conventional implant techniques or the usual type of bone grafting procedures has not been successful.