Changes in alveolar bone height and width following ridge augmentation using bone graft and membranes

Area of Science:

• Oral surgery
• Periodontology
• Regenerative medicine

Background:

• Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is used to augment alveolar ridges for dental implants.
• Clinical observations suggest that bone volume gained through GBR is not fully retained post-surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if surgically created bone volume after GBR is significantly less after 4 months of healing.
• To assess if bone loss following GBR is uniform across the augmented area.

Main Methods:

• Nineteen extraction sites in 10 patients underwent GBR using allograft and a bioabsorbable membrane.
• Alveolar height and width were measured before augmentation, after graft/membrane placement, and after 4 months of healing.
• Width measurements were taken at varying distances from the crest, and height measurements at multiple points along the ridge.

Main Results:

• Significant bone width loss occurred, ranging from 39.1% to 67.4% depending on the distance from the crest.
• Augmented bone height loss averaged 14.7% centrally but ranged from 60.5% to 76.3% at points mesial and distal to the center.
• Bone loss was non-uniform, with greater reduction observed closer to the ridge crest and at the edges of the augmented area.

Conclusions:

• GBR leads to significant and non-uniform loss of augmented alveolar bone height and width during healing.
• These findings necessitate adjustments in preoperative planning for endosseous implant placement following GBR.