Aim: Bone quality is evaluated using bone density for qualitative classification, a characteristic that may be delicate to evaluate. Contemporary implantology that relies on modern measurement techniques, needs a more quantitative estimate of the bone quality.
Materials and methods: PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched with no time restriction. Clinical and radiographic studies reporting on alveolar ridge dimensions and its parameters in different areas of the dentate and edentulous jaws were included. A meta-analysis was performed using random effect models to report a combined mean for alveolar ridge and its parameters. Meta regression statistical tests were performed in order to identify differences in those outcome parameters.
Results: 30 studies were included. The majority of the selected studies (total of 27) used live human subjects and CBCT to analyze alveolar ridge dimensions and its parameters. Using the combined mean obtained from the meta-analysis, a typical portrait of the alveolar ridge was constructed, and a geometrically based quantitative bone classification proposed. The quantitative classification was found to match the existing qualitative classification.
Conclusion: A geometry-based analysis was constructed that yields valuable insights on the bone type based on its components and on the dynamics of the dentate / edentulous states.