Distraction osteogenesis: a new alternative correction of vertically atrophied edentulous ridges

The surgical correction of vertically atrophied edentulous ridges is one of the most challenging fields of bone regeneration.A vertical deficit can in fact render implant placement difficult or impossible.In order to allow correct implant placement from a prosthetic and aesthetic viewpoint, different treatment modalities have been proposed.These include guided bone regeneration, autogenous only, or inter-positional bone graft.The most recent treatment modality is represented by alveolar distraction osteogenesis.The aim of this presentation is to present an overview on biologic principles, indications, contraindications, and results obtained with this method and evaluate the clinical outcome of implants placed in the distracted are