When it comes to bone grafting, there are a few options like demineralized bone allograft (DBA), freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA), and synthetic calcium phosphate (like Augma Bondapatite).
– DBA: This is human bone that’s had the minerals taken out, which makes it great for bone growth because may actually help recruit your body’s own cells to form new bone (that’s called osteoinductive).
– FDBA: This one keeps the minerals but is freeze-dried. It provides a good scaffold for bone to grow on (osteoconductive) but doesn’t actively encourage new bone to form.
– Synthetic Calcium Phosphate: This is man-made and also mostly osteoconductive, providing a framework for bone growth without the risk of disease transmission from human sources.
Before deciding on a graft, it’s a good idea to do a pre-radiographic assessment to see if grafting is even needed. This way, we can determine the best approach for the patient. I often lean to not grafting in patients with questionable bone healing issues.