Alveolar ridge bone changes in patients treated with the split‐crest technique with simultaneous implant placement: A retrospective longitudinal observational study

Abstract

AbstractObjectivesTo investigate long‐term alveolar ridge bone changes in patients treated with the split‐crest technique (SCT) with simultaneous implant placement.Materials and MethodsAlveolar ridge width (ARW) was measured with a caliper immediately before (ARW1) and after SCT (ARW2) with a caliper. Existing CBCT scans taken at least 5 years postoperatively were used to assess the healed ARW (ARWF), buccal bone thickness (BBT), and lingual/palatal bone thickness (L/PBT) at 0, 3, and 5 mm apically from implant platform level (IPL). The distance between IPL and buccal bone crest (IPL‐BBC) was also measured. Findings were compared with Wilcoxon and Student's t tests (p < .05).ResultsRecords of thirty patients with 85 implants were included. Eleven patients (31 implants) presented CBCT scans taken in two separate occasions, resulting in 116 measurements. Tomographic follow‐up ranged from 5 to 18 years (11.5 ± 4.18 years). Mean ARW increased from 3.2 ± 0.6 to 6.6 ± 0.48 mm after SCT, but significantly reduced overtime to 4.46 ± 0.83 mm (ARWF) (p < .0001). Mean BBT was 0.5 ± 0.9, 1.3 ± 0.9, and 2.0 ± 1.2 mm, while mean L/PBT was 0.9 ± 0.7, 1.6 ± 0.9, and 2.1 ± 1.0 mm at 0, 3, and 5 mm from IPL, respectively. IPL‐BBC distance varied up to 8.7 mm (1.4 ± 2.0 mm), with 56/116 measurements (51/85 implants) showing IPL‐BBC = 0 mm.ConclusionAlthough SCT with simultaneous implant placement can predictably increase ARW postoperatively, ARW tended to significantly reduce over time, due to reductions in BBT and L/PBT, especially coronally. Nonetheless, 60% of the implants still presented some buccal bone at IPL.