
Objective: The aim of this work is to review the literature on the role of periosteal distraction in osteogensis (PDO) in the cranio- maxillofacial region. Design: Using related key words, electronic search of English-language papers was conducted on PubMed and Science Direct data-bases in March /2016. Studies that assessed the role of periosteal distraction in osteogensis in the cranio- maxillofacial region were included. The retrieved articles were thoroughly reviewed according to the type of distraction (static/ dynamic), the used device, protocols, the adjunctive technique, and the obtained results. Results: A total of 28 articles matched the inclusion criteria of this study. Eighteen out of 28 experiments were performed on rabbits. The reviewed papers presented evident heterogeneity with respect to several aspects including the surgical technique, the used device, the distraction rate, the latency period, the length of consolidation period and the adjunctive techniques. Conclusion: periosteal distraction could be considered as a reliable technique for bone regeneration and it might be applicable in cranio-maxillofacial surgery. PDO can produce a new bone formation which derives from both, the periosteum and the underlying bone.