Guided Bone Regeneration for Horizontal Maxillary Alveolar Ridge Augmentation Using Patient-Specific Solid Titanium...

To assess the radiographic and histomorphometric outcomes of horizontally augmented maxillary alveolar ridges using solid nonperforated customized titanium barriers.

This case series study included patients who received guided bone regeneration treatment in the anterior maxillary esthetic zone (eight patients, 18 dental implants) using patient-specific solid titanium barriers loaded with a mix of autogenous and xenogenic particulate bone grafts. A radiographic comparison between three time periods (immediately postoperative, 4 months, and 10 months) included software-aided calibration of the linear changes in the horizontal dimensions on CBCT cross-sectional cuts after being standardized. Bone core specimens were retrieved for histomorphometric analysis by the time of implant insertion.

Wound healing was uneventful, except for two patients who showed soft tissue breakdown that did not affect the outcome. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean horizontal bone change at the different time intervals (P < .001), with a 79.6% ± 29.2% mean area of newly formed bone.

GBR using customized solid titanium barriers appears to be efficient and promising concerning the final horizontal bone gain and the quality of the augmented sites.