Horizontal Ridge Augmentation Using Sausage Technique: A Retrospective Study

Horizontal Ridge Augmentation Using Sausage Technique: A Retrospective Study

This retrospective study investigates the outcomes of the sausage technique, a contemporary modification of guided bone regeneration (GBR), for the augmentation of severely horizontally deficient alveolar ridges (<4 mm width). The technique, originally introduced by Urban and colleagues, uses multiple fixation pins to enhance membrane stability and maintain graft volume through a tension dome effect.

In this study, a total of 23 patients underwent horizontal ridge augmentation using the sausage technique, with bone measurements assessed at 2, 4, and 6 mm apical to the crest using CBCT imaging at preoperative (T0), early postoperative (T1), and late postoperative (T2) stages. The study quantitatively analyzed both horizontal bone gain (T2-T0) and bone resorption (T1-T2) during the healing period.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with knife-edge alveolar ridges, classified as Class IV according to the Cawood and Howell classification, who underwent ridge augmentation using the sausage technique
• Patients aged 18 or older with fully developed bone
• Patients who had regular clinical and radiographic follow-up after the procedure, with a minimum follow-up period of six months

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with systemic conditions (such as osteoporosis, cancer, immunosuppression, hyperparathyroidism, or hyperthyroidism) or a history of medications (including intravenous or oral bisphosphonates, immunosuppressants, or chemotherapy) that could interfere with bone healing
• Patients with a history of radiotherapy to the head or neck region
• Patients classified as ASA III or ASA IV
• Patients who were active smokers at the time of surgery
• Patients whose pre- or postoperative CBCT scans were of low image quality or affected by artefacts