Effect of body mass index on progressive bone mineral density in patients with cleft after secondary alveolar bone grafting.

Background: Although childhood obesity matters, the association between body mass index (BMI) and bone mineral density (BMD) progression in grafted tissue after secondary alveolar bone grafting (ABG) for children with cleft alveolus is scarcely studied. Accordingly, this study explored the influence of BMI on BMD progression after ABG.

Methods: In total, 39 patients with cleft alveolus receiving ABG at the mixed dentition stage were enrolled. Patients were classified as underweight, normal weight, or overweight or obese according to age- and sex-adjusted BMI. BMD was measured in Hounsfield units (HU) from cone-beam computed tomography scans obtained 6 months (T1) and 2 years (T2) postoperatively. Adjusted BMD (HU/HU, BMD) was used for further analysis.

Results: For underweight, normal-weight, and overweight or obese patients, BMD values were 72.87%, 91.85%, and 92.89%, respectively (p = 0.727); BMD values were 111.49%, 112.57%, and 113.10% (p = 0.828); and density enhancement rates were 29.24%, 24.61%, and 22.14% (p = 0.936). No significant correlation was observed between BMI and BMD, BMD, or density enhancement rates (p = 0.223, 0.156, and 0.972, respectively). For patients with BMI < 17 and ≥ 17 kg/m, BMD values were 89.80% and 92.89%, respectively (p = 0.496); BMD values were 111.49% and 113.10% (p = 0.216); and density enhancement rates were 23.06% and 26.39% (p = 0.573).

Conclusion: Patients with different BMI values had similar outcomes (BMD, BMD, or density enhancement rate) after our ABG procedure in the 2-year postoperative follow-up.