TITLE:
Healing without Grafts: Insights from a 3D Study of Bone Regeneration after Cyst Enucleation
AUTHORS:
Wafaa Mahfoud, Sidi Mohamed Bouzoubaa, Mokrane Khazana, Ihsane Ben Yahya
KEYWORDS:
Odontogenic Cyst, Bone Regeneration, CBCT, Enucleation, Spontaneous Healing
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.2,
February
3,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Bone defects following cyst enucleation raise the question of whether bone grafting is necessary. This study aimed to evaluate spontaneous bone regeneration using a 3D segmentation-based method. Materials and Methods: Seven patients who underwent cyst enucleation at the Department of Surgical Dentistry in Casablanca were included. Cone-beam CT scans were performed at baseline (T0) and 12 months postoperatively (T1). A 3D imaging software was used to measure the initial cyst volume and residual defect volume. Changes in volume and density were analyzed with respect to patient demographics, lesion location, histological type, and defect configuration. Results: All patients showed a reduction in defect volume at 12 months. The largest initial volume was 10.62 cm3, and the smallest was 3.12 cm3. The three youngest patients—all female—showed the highest regeneration rates. The average bone regeneration rate across the sample was 84.2%. Conclusion: Spontaneous bone healing occurred even in large defects, suggesting that, under appropriate surgical conditions and with periosteal preservation, graft-free healing is a viable and cost-effective alternative. This approach may be particularly effective in younger patients.