ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Bony reconstruction and dental rehabilitation of patients with posttraumatic anterior maxillary alveolar defects is a very complicated procedure. The aim of this study is the assessment of vertical ridge augmentation using autogenous onlay vs inlay bone grafting techniques in the anterior maxilla. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients (40 implants) with vertically deficient anterior maxillary alveolar ridges were equally allocated into two groups; Autogenous block bone graft was harvested from the chin with simultaneous implant placement was done either onlay (control) or inlay (study). Radiographic assessment was performed preoperatively, 1 week and 6 months postoperatively. Assessment included measurements of linear changes in the vertical height on cross sectional cuts of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) using special software. Finally, the amount of vertical gain and marginal bone loss in each group was compared to that of the other. RESULTS: Wound healing was uneventful for all cases except three cases of the onlay group showed wound breakdown and graft loss. The mean vertical bone gain in the control group was -0.02 mm while in the study was 3.34 mm. While the mean of the crestal bone loss of the control group was 4.77 mm and that of the study group was 1.65 mm. CONCLUSION: The final vertical bone gain was statistically significant in the study group, so the inlay bone grafting technique with immediate implant placement could be used successfully for vertical alveolar ridge augmentation in the esthetic zone.
