Horizontal Bone Augmentation in Full-Arch Maxillary Implant-Supported Restorations: A Preliminary Clinical Report

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe a technique for horizontal maxillary bone grafting in combination with implant placement for full arch. Materials and Methods: Patients requiring complete rehabilitation of the edentulous maxillae were included. Two axial mesial implants and 2 tilted distal ones were placed approximately 2 mm buccally about the centre of the bone crest. A graft made of a mixture of deproteinized bovine bone and platelet-rich plasma was placed buccally covering bony dehiscence. Horizontal bone gain and differences in bone volume were evaluated 6 months after surgical intervention, at the time of prosthetic loading, through comparison of standardized cone beam computed tomographic scans. Results: A total of 10 patients were consecutively treated after the proposed protocol. After 6 months, the mean horizontal bone gain was 1.87 +/- 0.54 mm for the left side and 1.79 +/- 0.78 mm for the right side without any significant difference between them. The bone volume increased by 610.5 +/- 27.57 mm(3) after 6 months. Conclusions: It can be postulated that the proposed protocol may provide a significant horizontal bone gain for minimizing the anterior cantilever in full-arch prosthesis.