Complications of distraction osteogenesis: Narrative review

Aim The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the complications of distraction osteogenesis (DO) of facial skeleton and their management. Materials and Method A detailed literature search was done on PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase from the year 1990 onwards. Any systematic review, randomized controlled trial, controlled clinical trial, retrospective/prospective study discussing about complications of maxillofacial DO and their management were included. Results Complications related to DO were divided based on phases as (a) planning (patient counselling, improper vector, errors in device selection, etc.), (b) surgery (tooth injury, neurosensory disturbance, incomplete osteotomy, etc.), (c) distraction (device failure, pain at regenerate site, premature consolidation, etc.) and (d) consolidation (infection, hypertrophic scar, relapse, etc.). Conclusion Widespread applications are possible with DO though it is a device‐dependent and technique‐sensitive procedure. With proper planning and execution, DO can become the gold standard for managing various maxillofacial disorders.