Evaluation of Delayed Split Expansion Technique for Horizontal Augmentation of Narrow Mandibular Alveolar Ridge for Implant Placement without Guided Bone Regeneration

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of application of delayed split expansion technique without guided bone regeneration for implant placement in narrow posterior mandibular ridge. Patients and methods: Fourteen patients with narrow posterior mandibular ridge were included in this prospective study. All patients treated by a delayed expansion technique with implant placement, receiving a total of thirty implants. All patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically by multi-slice CT scan. The width of the alveolar ridge was measured before implantation, immediately after implantation, and after 6 months. Marginal bone loss was calculated buccally and lingually as the difference between bone height measurements immediately post-implant insertion and after 6 months. Results: The average increase of the alveolar ridge width was 4.22±0.94 mm after 6 months, which showed a high statistically significant value (P ≤0.001). The mean values of buccal and lingual marginal bone loss were 0.403±0.26 and 0.217±0.20 mm respectively, which showed statistically non-significant values (P=0.087 and P= 0.092 respectively). Conclusion: The use of delayed expansion technique without guided bone regeneration is a simple efficient technique for horizontal augmentation of the narrow posterior mandibular ridge for implant placement. It offers less incidence of complications, less morbidity, and less cost than other augmentation techniques. It represents a modification of the conventional technique and is especially interesting for those patients with highly compact bone and initial insufficient bone ridge width for implant placement.