| Summary: | The aim of this article is to identify whether bioactive glass (BG) is a valid substitute for autogenic bone grafting in maxillofacial reconstruction. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Meta-analyses with fixed- and random-effects models were performed by using standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed by using the I² statistic. The significance of results was evaluated at P < 0.05. The BG leads to greater total bone volume retention 6 months after surgery compared with autografts (SMD = 0.796, 95% CI = 0.445–1.147, P = 8.74 × 10⁻⁶, I² = 0%). The resorption rate of BG grafts (SMD = −0.768, 95% CI = −1.360 to −0.176, P = 0.011, I² = 3.82%) was less common, while the retention of the biomaterial (SMD = 1.165, 95% CI = 0.540–1.790, P = 0.00026, I² = 0%) was higher in the experimental group. Both BG and autogenic grafts result in the formation of new bone to a similar extent. However, BG is able to provide long-term stability by maintaining the graft volume, reducing resorption, and preserving the graft scaffold, representing an effective alternative to autogenous bone grafting for a durable maxillofacial reconstruction.
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