Surgical Instructions > Bone Grafting

Home Care after Bone Grafting

Bone grafts can be taken from any areas including the hip, lower leg (tibia), jaw, skull or even synthetic bone or bone from a bone bank, depending on how much and the type of bone necessary.

There are some important instructions to follow before and after your grafting procedure:

1. All medications that inhibit platelets including Aspirin, Motrin, Aleve, Ibuprofen and similar medications as well as herbal medications should be stopped approximately two weeks prior to graft placement.

2. All removable dental appliances should be checked and adjusted so that they do no impinge or move the graft during healing.

3. Grafts from the hip or from the leg will require a period of some limited activity, possibly seven to fourteen days before resuming more vigorous physical activity. Your doctor will discuss this with you prior to your procedure.

4. Suture lines may be bathed if they are extra-oral 24 hours after the grafting procedure. Steri-strip bandages and suture lines will be inspected once a week and if sutures need to be removed they will be removed at this time. Many of our suture lines, however, involve dissolvable stitches which are beneath the skin and do not require removal.

5. In those cases involving hip grafting, if the hip and the muscles surrounding the hip are still very sore, a cane may be used to help with ambulation until normal ambulation is possible.

Hopefully the recovery from your bone grafting procedure will be smooth with minor discomfort and return of normal activity in a short period of time. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact you doctor’s office.