A minimally invasive method for titanium mesh fixation with resorbable sutures in guided bone regeneration: A retrospective study

Titanium mesh has become a mainstream choice for guided bone regeneration (GBR) owing to its excellent space maintenance. However, the traditional fixation method using titanium screws impacts surgery efficiency and increases patient trauma. We report a novel method of fixing a titanium mesh using resorbable sutures. We assessed the feasibility of resorbable sutures for fixing a titanium mesh and whether it can serve as a stable, universal, and minimally invasive fixation method for a broader application of titanium meshes.Patients undergoing GBR with a digital titanium mesh fixed using titanium screws (TS group) and resorbable sutures (RS group) were observed at different time points. The stability of the fixation methods was evaluated on parameters such as titanium mesh spatial displacement, bone augmentation, and bone resorption.A total of 36 patients were included in this study. The exposure rate of the titanium mesh in the TS group was 16.67%, while no exposure was noted in the RS group. There was no significant difference in the parameters of titanium mesh spatial displacement, bone augmentation, and bone resorption between the two groups (p > 0.05).The use of resorbable sutures for fixing a titanium mesh can achieve similar results to traditional fixation using titanium screws. Although this new fixation method can improve the efficiency of the surgery and reduce the risk of complications, the long-term clinical effects require further follow-up investigation.