Piezoelectric surgery in implantology: a case report--a new piezoelectric ridge expansion technique

The purpose of this preliminary article is to present a new surgical technique that, thanks to the use of modulated-frequency piezoelectric energy scalpels, permits the expansion of the ridge and the placement of implants in single-stage surgery in positions that were not previously possible with any other method. The technique involves the separation of the vestibular osseous flap from the palatal flap and the immediate positioning of the implant between the 2 cortical walls. The case report illustrates the ridge expansion and positioning of implants step by step in bone of quality 1 to 2 with only 2 to 3 mm of thickness that is maintained for its entire height. To obtain rapid healing, the expansion space that was created for the positioning of the implant was filled, following the concepts of tissue engineering, with bioactive glass synthetic bone graft material as an osteoconductive factor and autogenous platelet-rich plasma as an osteoinductive factor. The site was covered with a platelet-rich plasma membrane. A careful evaluation of the site when reopened after 3 months revealed that the ridge was mineralized and stabilized at a thickness of 5 mm and the implants were osseointegrated.