**2.3 The wedge preparation**

The wedge preparation was made by multiple splittings of the harvested bone block. In the present case, the bone block splitting was performed in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the first split yielded two thinner bone blocks, and further splitting at the same axis gave 4 thin bone blocks from the original bone block (**Figure 2b**–**d**). Further transverse splitting of the four thin bone blocks provided 8–10 thin bone blocks and each one is called "bone wedge" (**Figure 2e** and **f**). However, the splitting of the harvested block can be also made at the transverse axis of the block to obtain four thick bone blocks. Further splitting of those blocks at their long axis can give 8–10 thin bone wedges (**Figure 2g**–**j**).
