Abstract
Purpose
This retrospective cohort study aimed to analyze the incidence of dehiscence after bone augmentation using patient-specific titanium meshes and the factors associated with its occurrence.
Material and Methods
Patients who underwent bone augmentation with the aid of patient-specific titanium mesh between December 2014 and October 2021 from the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery at Mainz University Hospital were included. The primary outcome was the occurrence of dehiscence after bone augmentation with a customized titanium mesh technique. The occurrence of dehiscence was recorded during the following time phases, enabling the determination of whether dehiscences occur early (< 2 weeks), in the mid-term (3–9 weeks), or later in the healing phase (> 10 weeks).
Results
A total of 78 patients with 85 titanium mesh augmentation were included with a mean follow-up of 1.2 years. The dehiscence was observed in 33 meshes (38.8%), which 51.5% within the first two weeks. In none of the cases was premature removal of the titanium mesh required following dehiscence. A statistically significant correlation between the occurrence of dehiscences and smoking behavior (p < 0.001) and the location of maxillary defect (p = 0.029) was observed. There was no significant correlation between the occurrence of dehiscences and gender (p = 0.160), periodontitis (p = 0.512), gingival type (p = 0.495), type of defect (p = 0,490), and incision technique (p = 0,354).
Conclusion
Dehiscence in augmentations using customized titanium meshes was primarily associated with smoking status and defect location in the maxilla. To achieve high success, early detection and treatment of dehiscence are crucial.