Morbidity of Anterior Iliac Crest and Calvarial Bone Donor Graft Sites: A 1-Year Randomized Controlled Trial

This study compared the morbidity of calvarial and anterior iliac crest donor sites in 20 edentulous patients undergoing bone graft harvesting for maxillary reconstruction. Patients were randomly assigned to either the calvarial (n=10) or anterior iliac crest (n=10) group. The study found no perioperative complications, and both groups reported high satisfaction and negligible long-term pain. The anterior iliac crest group experienced minor postoperative pain, while the calvarial group had longer scars, which were not bothersome. Overall, both donor sites were associated with low long-term morbidity, suggesting that patient-centered decision-making was appropriate for selecting the preferred harvesting method.