Osteoinductive Implants in Head and Neck Surgery

The head and neck surgeon is still in search for the ideal implant material that would be readily available, biocompatible, easily shaped, nonresorbable, and safe to use. Alloplastic implants (Silastic, Proplast) may have problems associated with their persistence in the host as a foreign body, implant movement, and resorption. Autologous bone and cartilage remain the materials of choice for implantation. As an alternative to autologous bone grafts, surgeons now can choose from one of several different types of bone implants. Osteoconductive bone implants undergo ingrowth of host bone from the margins of the defect with subsequent osseointegration of the implant. A major drawback of osteoconductive bone implants is that they remain in the host as a foreign body. Hydroxyapatite implants are a good example of an osteoconductive implant. On the other hand, osteoinductive implants actually stimulate host bone formation by transforming host mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts. These implants are ultimately