Guided Bone Regeneration
Also written as: GBR — Guided Bone Regeneration
A surgical technique that uses barrier membranes to exclude soft-tissue cells from a bone defect, allowing osteogenic cells to repopulate and regenerate bone.
Full Definition
Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is based on the principle that bone defects require exclusion of rapidly proliferating epithelial and connective tissue cells to allow slower-migrating osteoprogenitor cells to populate the wound and form new bone. A resorbable or non-resorbable membrane is placed over the defect, often in conjunction with a bone graft material, to act as a physical barrier. GBR is widely used in implant dentistry and oral surgery to augment deficient alveolar ridges prior to or simultaneously with implant placement. Editors will encounter this term in implant-related surgical protocols, consent forms, and case reports; the abbreviation GBR should be defined on first use.
Usage
Usage note: Do not confuse GBR (bone regeneration) with GTR (guided tissue regeneration, a periodontal procedure). The distinction is clinically significant and must be maintained in all editorial contexts.
In Context
- "A collagen membrane was placed over the extraction socket as part of guided bone regeneration prior to implant placement six months later." — Implant surgery operative note
- "The article reviewed outcomes of guided bone regeneration using resorbable versus non-resorbable membranes in posterior mandibular defects." — Academic journal article