Application of purified bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) in cranio-maxillo-facial surgery. BMP in compromised surgical reconstructions using titanium implants.

After a review of the clinically relevant literature on early modified whole bone products (demineralized bone; AAA bone (Urist et al., 1975))--predecessors of purified bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)--and a summary of the only published clinical experience with purified human BMP (in orthopedic surgery; from the group of Urist; Johnson et al., 1988-1992), an introductory overview of our experience with our own preparations of BMP from bovine bone in 271 procedures on the face and cranium in 145 patients is presented. In this first article of a series of three, major preprosthetic reconstructions using iliac bone grafts and titanium screw implants are described. All patients are examples of compromised bone and/or soft tissue conditions and cannot be considered routine indications for the operations performed. The most endangered implants became osseointegrated after 6 to 8 1/2 months as judged from clinical examination and CT imaging. These results demonstrate the efficacy of purified, concentrated BMP preparations, able unequivocally to induce bone even in areas with seemingly lost implants.