Stem Cells for Bone Grafts

Prior to placing an implant, it is often necessary to regenerate bone in the jaw.  There are many bone regeneration options including a bone graft.  If a bone graft is used to regenerate bone, it should display three key characteristics:

Osteoconductive – provides a scaffold for bone formation

Osteoinductive –   provide factors that induce bone formation

Osteogenicity –      provide cells that can form bone

When organic bone graft not from the patient is utilized exclusively, osteoconduction is provided as is some osteoinduction.  However, no osteogenicity is provided.  Even greater osteoinduction can be provided when the bone graft is harvested from the patient’s jaw.  Nevertheless, research has shown that implants placed in bone grafts harvested from the patient are no more successful than bone grafts from a bone bank.  To complete the triad of characteristics needed for ideal bone regeneration, factors, including stem cells, can be added to graft material which can significantly increase the amount of osteoinduction and provide osteogenicity.  Stem cells are safe and are considered immune-privileged cells.   They are the cells from which all cells are derived and they do not stimulate an immune response.

Since the outcome can be equally successful using the patient’s bone or bone from a bone bank, Dr. Kissel does not use bone harvested from the patient, providing his patients with the least surgically invasive experience possible.  By adding stem cells to bone from a bone bank, Dr. Kissel’s bone regeneration procedure incorporates all three components necessary for ideal bone formation.  Dr. Kissel has utilized this graft procedure for the past several years and has found the results to be outstanding.  If you would like more information regarding this graft and its potential, please make an appointment at Dr. Kissel’s office.