Retrospective Outcomes of Horizontal Guided Bone Regeneration at Partially Edentulous Sites with a Facially Oriented Crestal Incision (FOCIS) Design

This retrospective study aimed to describe the facially oriented crestal incision (FOCIS) and assess the incidence of flap dehiscence and its efficacy in simultaneous and staged guided bone regeneration (GBR) procedures. The data of 41 patients treated with FOCIS GBR were analyzed. The primary outcome analyzed was the rate of initial wound closure. Secondary outcomes were related clinical parameters, including mean resolution of dehiscences and fenestrations, crestal buccal bone thickness (BBT), and bone width (BW) increase. A total of 53 implants were placed. The initial wound closure rate was 92.7% (38/41) and 94.3% (50/53) at the patient and implant levels, respectively. The complete dehiscence resolution rate was 79.31%, and the mean dehiscence reduction was 3.12 ± 2.46 mm (95% CI: 2.19 to 4.06 mm). BBT had a mean increase of 1.22 ± 1.07 mm (95% CI: 0.86 to 1.59 mm), and the final BBT was an average of 1.56 ± 0.79 mm (95% CI: 1.32 to 1.80 mm). Lastly, BW increase averaged 3.38 ± 1.49 mm (95% CI: 2.58 to 4.17 mm) for the staged cases. Utilizing FOCIS at partially edentulous sites can help achieve and maintain wound closure in horizontal GBR procedures.