The positive effect of tenting screws for primary horizontal guided bone regeneration: a retrospective study based on cone-beam computed tomography data.

Objectives To radiographically evaluate the effect of the adjunctive use of tenting screws (TS) for primary horizontal guided bone regeneration (GBR). Materials & Methods Twenty-eight patients in need of staged bone augmentation were consecutively treated in a private practice. A xenogenic particulate bone substitute material (DBBM) and a resorbable collagen membrane were used in all patients. Subjects were divided into two groups: control (conventional GBR;n = 22) and test (tenting screws in conjunction with GBR - TS;n = 22). CBCT images were obtained before augmentation and after 6-8 months. CBCTs were superimposed, and linear horizontal measurements were performed. Alveolar ridge width (RW) and ridge width change (RWchange) were assessed at 1, 3, 5, and 7 mm below the bone crest. Results Forty-four sites in 28 patients were evaluated. No differences between the groups were detected for RW at baseline (TS: 5.87 +/- 2.41; control: 5.36 +/- 1.65). Regarding RWchange, TS promoted an additional effect at 1 and 3 mm below the crest compared to control (p < .05; RWchange-1 TS: 3.72 +/- 2.46; control: 1.25 +/- 3.05; RWchange-3 TS: 3.98 +/- 2.53; control: 2.50 +/- 2.02). The final RW was greater in group TS compared to the control group at the 1, 3, and 5 mm level (p < .05). Conclusions The use of tenting screws exerted a positive effect on staged GBR with a greater final RW at the 3 mm level. In addition, GBR in conjunction with TS was able to provide consistent bone augmentation at lingual/palatal sites.