Clinical and Micro-CT Analyses of Vertical Guided Bone Regeneration of the Mandible Using a d-PTFE Membrane, Autogenous Bone, and High-Temperature Processed Xenograft: A Case Series Study.

This article focuses on evaluating the efficacy of vertical guided bone regeneration (GBR) in the mandible using a combination of autogenous bone chips, high-temperature processed (HTP) xenograft, and a dense polytetrafluoroethylene (d-PTFE) membrane. In a retrospective case series of 13 patients with mandibular vertical bone deficiencies, the procedure achieved an average vertical bone gain of 3.35 mm and horizontal gain of 5.15 mm without complications, allowing successful placement of 33 implants. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis of biopsy samples revealed approximately 48% new bone formation in the augmented area, with similar proportions of noncalcified tissue compared to pristine bone. The study concludes that this combination is a safe and effective approach for vertical ridge augmentation, with higher residual apical bone volume potentially predicting greater vertical gain.