The impact of computer-aided design and manufacturing on the time required for cortical lamina harvesting and positioning for augmentation of atrophic ridges (Randomized clinical trials)

Abstract

Background: When considering computed tomography and the advancement of planning software, it is clear that the digital era has fused with maxillofacial surgery, and computer-aided technology is playing a crucial role in treatment planning to get the best possible outcome with safety and precision. Bone augmentation using autogenous cortical lamina technique is a long procedure, so this study intended to evaluate the duration of surgery operation using a printed casespecific polymer guide VS the conventional technique.Patient and methods: A total of fourteen cases participated in this investigation, seven patients with narrow ridges (control group) cortical lamina from the chin area were harvested and fixed by hand on, whereas the rest of the cases underwent the same operation utilizing computer-aided two case-specific guides(for lamina harvesting and second guide for positioning). Results:The mean operation duration (min.) in the intervention group was (149.57±27.26), in comparison to (153.86±32.15) in the control group, with no significant difference between groups (p=0.793) Conclusion:This study demonstrated the effectiveness of computer-assisted bone grafting for augmenting atrophic ridges however, with insignificant effect on the operation time.