Is Peripheral Blood Cell Balanced Altered by the Use of Fresh Frozen Bone Block Allografts in Lateral Maxillary Ridge Augmentation?

Background: The relationship between the immune response and red and white blood cell homeostasis is cited in literature, but no studies regarding the balance of these cell populations following maxillary bone-graft surgeries can be found. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible impairments in the blood cell balance following freshfrozen allogeneic bone-graft augmentation procedures in patients who needed maxillary reconstruction prior to implants. Material and Methods: From 33 patients elected to onlay bone grafting procedures, 20 were treated with freshfrozen bone allografts and 13 with autologous bone grafts. Five blood samples were collected from each patient in a 6-month period (baseline: 14, 30, 90, and 180 days postsurgery), and the hematological parameters (erythrogram, leukogram, and platelets count) were accessed. Results: All evaluated parameters were within the reference values accepted as normal, and significant differences were found for the eosinophils count when comparing the treatments (30 days, p=.035) and when comparing different periods of evaluation (allograft-treated group, baselinex180 days, p.05 and 90x180 days, p.01; autograft-treated group, 30x90 days, p.05 and 30x180 days, p.05). Conclusions: Both autologous and freshfrozen allogeneic bone grafts did not cause any impairment in the red and white blood cell balance, based on quantitative hemogram analysis, in patients subjected to maxillary reconstruction.