Objective: This study aimed to review the existing evidence regarding reconstruction of the alveolar cleft using recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in terms of bone volume and bone height.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Patients—participants: A systematic search was done. Randomized and nonrandomized clinical trials, where rhBMP-2 was used in the reconstruction of human alveolar cleft were included.
Interventions: Reconstruction of alveolar cleft with rhBMP-2.
Main outcome measures: Average bone volume formation and average bone height formation in the alveolar cleft. Mean difference was calculated and pooled by meta-analysis.
Results: Of 709 identified articles, 5 studies met the inclusion criteria. The average bone volume formation was higher in the rhBMP-2 group than in the control group (61.11% vs 59.12%). The average bone height formation was higher in the control group compared to the rhBMP-2 group (75.4% vs 61.5%). The risk of bias in the selected articles was high. The meta-analysis showed that rhBMP-2 treatment may benefit bone formation compared to iliac crest graft (low certainty evidence; mean difference: -208.76; 95% confidence interval: -253.59 to -163.93; -I2 = 0%).
Conclusions: The results obtained in primary articles are promising but have a high risk of bias and have low quality of evidence; therefore, it is necessary to conduct controlled clinical trials with a greater number of patients to recommend the use of rhBMP-2 in the treatment of the alveolar cleft. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018077741.
Keywords: alveolar bone grafting; alveolar cleft; bone morphogenetic protein; meta-analysis; rhBMP-2; systematic review.