A Preshaped Titanium Mesh for Guided Bone Regeneration with an Equine-Derived Bone Graft in a Posterior Mandibular Bone Defect: A Case Report

One of the most often used bone augmentation techniques is the guided bone regeneration procedure. The authors report the case of a 75-year-old man with an atrophic right posterior mandible who underwent bone augmentation through guided bone regeneration with a preshaped titanium mesh adapted on a stereolithographic model of the patient's jaw. The graft volume was simulated with a light-curing resin. The actual site was grafted with a mixture of autogenous and equine-derived bone. Five months later, the mesh was retrieved, three cylindrical implants were positioned, and a bone biopsy was collected for histomorphometric analysis. A provisional prosthesis was delivered three and a half months later. Definitive rehabilitation was accomplished after one additional month. The graft allowed for effective bone formation (newly formed bone, residual biomaterial, and medullar spaces were, respectively, 39%, 10%, and 51% of the core volume). The patient has functioned successfully throughout six and a half years of follow-up. Using the preshaped titanium mesh in association with the enzyme-treated equine bone substitute provided effective bone regeneration.