Purpose: To assess the radiographic and histomorphometric outcomes of horizontally augmented maxillary alveolar ridges using solid nonperforated customized titanium barriers.
Materials and methods: 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.
Results: 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.
Conclusion: 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.
Keywords: alveolar ridge, anterior maxilla, CAD/CAM, computer guided, guided bone regeneration (GBR), horizontal bone gain, nonperforated meshes, patient-specific barrier
