Vertical Ridge Gain with Various Bone Augmentation Techniques: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Regenerative Medicine
• Dental Implantology

Background:

• Alveolar bone defects present challenges in dental implant placement.
• Vertical bone augmentation is crucial for successful rehabilitation.
• Various techniques exist, including autogenous block grafting and distraction osteogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and compare alveolar augmentation techniques for vertical bone gain.
• To determine the most effective method for increasing vertical bone height.
• To evaluate bone resorption associated with different augmentation procedures.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Dental and Oral Science, Google Scholar, and greylit.org.
• Inclusion of clinical trials and retrospective studies on patients with reduced vertical bone height.
• Meta-analysis comparing distraction osteogenesis (DO) to autogenous block grafting and other techniques.

Main Results:

• Eight studies were included: 5 clinical trials and 3 retrospective studies.
• Meta-analysis showed no significant difference in vertical bone gain between DO and autogenous block grafting (MD 0.82 [-1.28, 2.91]).
• No significant difference was found in bone resorption between DO and autogenous block grafting (MD 0.38 [-0.23, 0.99]).

Conclusions:

• Distraction osteogenesis is not superior to autogenous block grafting for vertical bone augmentation.
• Both DO and autogenous block grafting are associated with complications.
• Limited data prevent conclusive results for other augmentation techniques.