Radiographic Assessment of Bone Width Improvement in Narrow Ridge Patients Managed with Ridge Split Technique: A...

Area of Science:

• Oral Surgery
• Periodontology
• Dental Implantology

Background:

• Narrow dentoalveolar ridges pose challenges for endosseous implant placement.
• Techniques like guided bone regeneration, bone block grafting, and ridge splitting are used for bone expansion.
• Ridge splitting provides a less invasive approach for predictable bone expansion and grafting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the ridge split technique in increasing bone width in the narrow mandibular posterior region.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 28 patients (34 sites) aged 16-50 years.
• Preoperative and 3-month postoperative bone width was measured using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
• The ridge split technique was performed, and the created space was filled with sticky bone graft.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in bone width was observed at the alveolar crest and at 3 mm and 6 mm below the crest after 3 months.
• Mean bone width increased from 3.62 mm to 4.23 mm at the crest, 6.28 mm to 7.14 mm at 3 mm below, and 8.41 mm to 9.16 mm at 6 mm below.

Conclusions:

• The ridge split technique is effective for increasing bone width in narrow mandibular alveolar ridges.
• This method offers a less invasive and cost-effective alternative to traditional ridge augmentation procedures.
• Further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up is recommended.