Vertical and Horizontal Ridge Augmentation with Titanium-Reinforced Dense PTFE and Reinforced PTFE Mesh: A...

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Periodontology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is crucial for dental implant site development.
• Comparing biomaterials for GBR is essential for optimizing outcomes.
• Vertical ridge augmentation presents unique challenges in GBR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare vertical bone gain (VBG) and horizontal bone gain (HBG) using titanium-reinforced dense PTFE (TiR-dPTFE) versus resorbable porcine collagen membranes (RPM).
• To assess bone gain at 9 and 12 months using 3D tomographic imaging.
• To perform histological assessment of bone regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Prospective comparative case series of 14 patients with 46 vertical ridge defects.
• GBR using TiR-dPTFE (n=23) or RPM (n=23) with a bone graft mixture.
• CBCT imaging at 9 and 12 months for VBG and HBG assessment; core biopsies for histology.

Main Results:

• Both membranes achieved significant VBG.
• TiR-dPTFE demonstrated superior VBG compared to RPM at 9 and 12 months (p<0.05).
• RPM showed a significant decline in VBG from 9 to 12 months, while TiR-dPTFE remained stable; HBG was comparable between groups.

Conclusions:

• Both TiR-dPTFE and RPM are effective for vertical ridge augmentation.
• TiR-dPTFE provides superior and more stable vertical bone gain over 12 months.
• Both membranes are suitable for implant site development, with TiR-dPTFE potentially offering enhanced vertical augmentation.