Comparative evaluation of two surgical approaches for vertical ridge augmentation in the mandible

Vertical mandibular ridge deficiency challenges implant placement and stability in prosthetic dentistry. Therefore, it is of interest to compare guided bone regeneration (GBR) with titanium mesh versus autogenous onlay block grafting in 76 patients needing pre-prosthetic augmentation. Both yielded similar vertical bone gains (4.82±1.24 mm GBR versus. 5.14±1.38 mm block, p=0.284), supporting implant success. Block grafting had higher resorption (18.4% versus. 12.2%, p=0.028) and donor morbidity (26.3% versus. 0%, p<0.001), while GBR showed more membrane exposure (21.1% versus. 7.9%, p=0.024). GBR advances ridge augmentation by matching block graft efficacy with lower morbidity, guiding less invasive implant site development.