| Abstract | The present paper reports on a patient who underwent vertical ridge augmentation using recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (rhPDGF-BB) in combination with a scaffold made of deproteinized bovine bone block. Forty-five days after the extraction of a mandibular central incisor, an NT (tapered profile) Osseotite implant was inserted into the extraction socket. A 9-mm vertical bone defect was present and treated with the use of a xenograft block infused with rhPDGF-BB. The soft tissues showed perfect healing after 2 weeks. After 6 months, reentry surgery was performed. At this time the clinical evaluation showed complete bone regeneration, with the presence of hard bonelike tissue all around the implant. Radiographic evaluation showed integration of the bovine xenograft with the residual basal bone, together with optimal bone-to-implant contact and a reorganization of the lamina dura on the interproximal sites of the adjacent teeth. The implant was then successfully restored with a metal-ceramic crown. This human report supports the use of rhPDGF-BB in combination with a bovine bone block for accomplishing challenging vertical ridge augmentation. |
