Horizontal alveolar ridge augmentation using distraction osteogenesis: comparison with a bone-splitting method in a...

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Dental Implantology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Narrow alveolar ridges pose challenges for dental implant placement.
• Horizontal alveolar distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a potential bone augmentation technique.
• Limited comparative studies exist for horizontal DO versus traditional bone grafting methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of horizontal alveolar DO with a bone-splitting (BS) technique using bone grafting for alveolar ridge augmentation.
• To evaluate bone and soft tissue gain and implant stability in a canine model.

Main Methods:

• A split-mouth study was conducted on five beagle dogs.
• One mandibular ridge side underwent 4 mm horizontal DO; the contralateral side received 4 mm BS with bone grafting.
• Dental implants were placed 2 months post-augmentation in the DO group and simultaneously in the BS group.

Main Results:

• Horizontal DO resulted in significantly greater bone gain (2.7 mm) than BS (1.7 mm).
• Keratinized soft tissue gain was significantly higher with DO (2.8 mm) compared to BS (0.6 mm).
• Implants in the distracted area showed good stability and mature bone integration.

Conclusions:

• Horizontal alveolar ridge distraction osteogenesis is an effective method for augmenting narrow alveolar ridges.
• This technique facilitates successful dental implant placement with enhanced bone and soft tissue regeneration.