title: Palatal approach for maxillary alveolar distraction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this report was to describe a surgical technique for performing alveolar distraction in the upper jaw via a palatal approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  To illustrate this technique we report 2 clinical cases in which palatal-approach alveolar distraction was used to rectify insufficient alveolar rim height. The first case involves a 50-year-old man with atrophy of the alveolar rim in the posterior upper jaw. From the palatal side, a transport segment pedicled to the vestibular mucosa was cut, and 2 Lead System distractors (Leibinger, Kalamazoo, MI) were placed. The second case involves a 23-year-old woman with a bone defect in the alveolar rim in the premaxillary sector of the upper jaw. Again, from the palatal side, a transport segment pedicled to the vestibular mucosa was cut, and a single Lead System distractor was placed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both cases the height of the alveolar rim was successfully increased by 8 mm, allowing placement of three 12-mm implants in case 1, and two 12-mm implants in case 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend a palatal approach and intraosseous distractors for alveolar distraction in the upper jaw.
authors.affiliation: University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. ciabelgg@usc.es
authors.forename: Abel Garcia
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Manuel Somoza
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Pilar Gandara
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Vila
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saulacic
authors.forename: Jose Manuel Gandara
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000540:Alveolar Ridge Augmentation / Q000379:methods; D001284:Atrophy; D015921:Dental Implants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery*; D008439:Maxillary Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010159:Palate / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants