Guided Bone Regeneration
Also written as: GBR — Guided Bone Regeneration
A surgical procedure using barrier membranes to exclude soft tissue from a bone defect site, allowing selective repopulation by osteogenic cells.
Full Definition
Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a technique employed in implant dentistry to reconstruct insufficient alveolar bone volume prior to or simultaneously with implant placement. A resorbable or non-resorbable membrane is positioned over the defect site, filled with bone graft material, and covered by a tension-free mucoperiosteal flap. The membrane physically prevents faster-proliferating epithelial and connective tissue cells from invading the space, privileging slower osteoblasts. Editors should abbreviate as GBR only after expansion on first use, and should not conflate it with the analogous soft-tissue procedure 'guided tissue regeneration (GTR).'
Usage
Usage note: Expand to 'guided bone regeneration (GBR)' on first use. Do not confuse with 'guided tissue regeneration (GTR),' which is the periodontal soft-tissue counterpart.
In Context
- "Guided bone regeneration using a titanium-reinforced membrane was performed simultaneously with implant placement." — Surgical case report
- "The patient was advised that GBR would extend the overall treatment time by four to six months." — Informed consent document