Guided Surgery for Horizontal Bone Augmentation

The aim of the research project is to develop a novel protocol for guided bone regeneration (GBR) and assess whether such a patient specific 3D printed guide can improve the accuracy of the resulting bone augmentation when compared to conventional freehand protocols.

This study will be an open, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 28 healthy adult patients requiring bone augmentation of an edentulous site with adjacent teeth prior to implant placement will be included in a clinical trial.

All patients have to fulfill all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria. The total study duration for the patient will be around 7 months, from inclusion to final follow-up.

A virtual plan representing the ideal shape of the augmentation will be prepared. Bone augmentation guides (molds) will be designed and 3D printed for each case. These molds will encompass the defect and the desired augmentation (including the overfill compensating for the expected resorption) on the buccal aspect, leaving a small access space on the coronal aspect of the defect which will be used to insert the grafting material. Additionally, they will have holes near the mesial, distal and apical edges allowing for fixation of the barrier membrane using pin placement when the mold is in position. Finally, they will extend to the occlusal surface of teeth adjacent to the defect site in order to allow precise positioning and will have a protrusion (handle) on the buccal aspect allowing for easier handling and positioning.

The trial will have two groups, a freehand group where conventional bone augmentation surgery will be performed and the clinician will determine the shape of the graft manually, and a guided group where the guide described above will be used. A 50:50 mixture of DBBM and autogenous bone will be used for both groups, resulting in a composite graft. The graft will be covered by a resorbable collagen membrane.