Effect of bone block graft with rhBMP-2 on vertical bone augmentation

The effectiveness of vertical bone augmentation was evaluated in the cranial bone of 15 rabbits using a block of deproteinized bovine bone plus 10% porcine collagen (DBBB) and a cortico-cancellous human bone block (CHBB) with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in comparison with a guided bone regeneration (GBR) technique. The rabbits were divided into six groups: DBBB alone, DBBB/rhBMP-2, DBBB/membrane, CHBB alone, CHBB/rhBMP-2 and CHBB/membrane groups. After 12 weeks, the rabbits were killed. The CHBB groups showed higher values than the DBBB groups in terms of vertical height, the area of new bone fill and the maintained grafted area. In the CHBB groups, the CHBB/rhBMP-2 group revealed similar results to GBR. This animal study verifies that a CHBB with rhBMP-2 could be an alternative treatment option for vertical bone augmentation.