Guided bone regeneration using K-incision technique

Purpose: The present study describes 3 patients with chronic periodontitis and consequent vertical resorption of the alveolar ridge who were treated using implant-based restoration with guided bone regeneration (GBR). Methods: After extraction of a periodontally compromised tooth, vertical bone augmentation using a K-incision was performed at the healed, low-level alveolar ridge. Results: The partial-split K-incision enabled soft tissue elongation without any change in buccal vestibular depth, and provided sufficient keratinized gingival tissue during GBR. Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, the present case series demonstrated that the novel K-incision technique was effective for GBR and allowed normal implant-based restoration and maintenance of a healthy periodontal condition. However, further long-term follow-up and a large-scale randomized clinical investigation should be performed to evaluate the feasibility of this technique.