Horizontal alveolar transport distraction osteogenesis followed by implant placement

Alveolar transport distraction osteogenesis (ATDO) is an alternative treatment method to vertical alveolar distraction osteogenesis in cases of large bony defects, especially when the bone is limited in size. ATDO was performed in 10 patients with 12 defects. The mean age of the patients was 39.1 years. The average bone length gain was 18.2 mm. Implants were inserted following a 3-month consolidation period. Three patients needed additional bone grafting for horizontal widening. Final prosthetic rehabilitation was performed at least 3 months following implant insertion. The mean follow-up period was 63 months and the survival rate of the 25 implants placed was 92%. All failures (n = 2) occurred during the early healing period. Although the results are not totally predictable, it can be concluded that ATDO can be effective in the reconstruction of the alveolar crest prior to implant placement.