Survival of cylindrical implants in composite grafted maxillary sinuses

PURPOSE: This retrospective study investigated the survival of dental implants placed in the maxilla after composite grafting of the sinus and an average of 55 months of loading. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Maxillary sinuses of 88 patients were grafted with autogenous cancellous bone combined with dense hydroxyapatite particles. After an average healing period of 3.4 months, hydroxyapatite-coated titanium endosseous implants were placed. A total of 388 implants were placed in grafted sinus floors, and 82 were placed in onlay grafted nonsinus position in the canine region. The implants were loaded with overdentures and fixed bridges 4 months (mean) after implantation, with a follow-up for a mean of 55 months. RESULTS: The cumulative implant survival was calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Implant survival from the time of loading was 89% in full reconstructed cases and 90% in partially edentulous cases. The overall cumulative implant survival rate, including the loss in the surgical stage, was 82%. CONCLUSION: Implant loss in composite grafted maxillae after 70 months of follow-up was similar to loss in nongrafted maxillae.     

The use of osteotomes for sinus augmentation at the time of implant placement

The placement of endosseous dental implants is often hampered by the loss of alveolar bone. In the posterior maxilla, the presence of the maxillary sinus and less-dense bone present additional obstacles to successful implant placement. Existing methods of subantral augmentation require extensive surgical manipulation, often including a second surgical site for harvesting autogenous bone. The development of surgical osteotomes has facilitated the placement of implants in areas of minimal alveolar bone height in the posterior maxilla. This article describes the osteotome technique for sinus augmentation at the time of implant placement and presents a short-term evaluation of 34 implants placed in 18 patients.     

Radiographic modalities for diagnosis and treatment planning in implant dentistry

Early in the development of implant technology it became apparent that conventional dental imaging techniques were limited for evaluating patients for implant surgery. During the treatment planning phase, the recipient bed is routinely assessed by visual examination and palpation, as well as by periapical and panoramic radiology. These two imaging modalities provide a two-dimensional image of mesial-distal and occlusal-apical dimensions of the edentulous regions where implants might be placed. When adequate occlusal-apical bone height is available for endosteal implants, the buccal-lingual width and angulation of the available bone are the most important criteria for implant selection and success. However, neither buccal-lingual width nor angulation can be visualized on most traditional radiographs. Although clinical examination and traditional radiographs may be adequate for patients with wide residual ridges that exhibit sufficient bone crestal to the mandibular nerve and maxillary sinus, these methods do not allow for precise measurement of the buccolingual dimension of the bone or assessment of the location of unanticipated undercuts. For these concerns, it is necessary to view the recipient site in a plane perpendicular to a curved plane through the arch of the maxilla or mandible in the region of the proposed implants. Implant dentists soon recognized that, for optimum placement of implants, cross-sectional views of the maxilla and mandible were the ideal means of providing necessary pre-operative information. Today, the two most often employed and most applicable radiographic studies for implant treatment planning are the panoramic radiograph and tomography. Although distortion can be a major problem with panoramic radiographs, when performed properly they can provide valuable information, and are both readily accessible and cost efficient. To help localize potential implant sites and assist in obtaining accurate measurements, it is recommended that surgical stents be used with panoramic radiographs. In simple cases, where a limited number of implants are to be placed, panoramic radiography and/or tomography may be used to obtain a view of the arch of the jaw in the area of interest. For complex, cases, where multiple implants are required, the CT scan imaging procedure is recommended. Because of its ability to reconstruct a fully three dimensional model of the maxilla and mandible, CT provides a highly sophisticated format for precisely defining the jaw structure and locating critical anatomic structures. The use of CT scans in conjunction with software that renders immediate "treatment plans" using the most real and accurate information provides the most effective radiographic modality currently available for the evaluation of patients for oral implants. To follow patients after implant surgery, DSR can be helpful by addressing the limitations of other radiographic modalities in detecting postoperative changes. By eliminating unchanged information, DSR allows the clinician's eye to focus on actual changes that have occurred between the recordings of two images.     

Comparison of position repeatability of a human operator and an industrial manipulating robot

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Implant-supported restorations in the partially edentulous jaw have been performed at the Mayo Clinic for more than 10 years. Clinical performance of the implants and the prostheses should be reported to ensure effectiveness of this procedure. PURPOSE: This retrospective study described results for implant survival, implant fracture rate, prosthetic complications, and design changes that may impact these results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of all registered implant patients in a large multispecialty medical center. Patients with a partially edentulous jaw who had received endosseous implants to support and retain dental prostheses were included in this review. Implant survival and fracture, prosthetic complications, and demographic data were recorded and analyzed through Kaplan-Meier methods. RESULTS: A total of 1170 implants were placed in four anatomic locations: anterior maxilla, posterior maxilla, anterior mandible, or posterior mandible. Location of implants was shown to have no effect on implant survival (p = 0.7398), implant fracture rates (p = 0.2385), screw loosening (p = 0.8253), or screw fracture (p = 0.2737). Development of new restorative components has resulted in significantly better rates of implant survival without fracture (p = 0.0054), screw function without loosening (p < 0.0001) and screw function without fracture (p = 0.0013). Implant survival seems to have been improved with the new components (p = 0.0513). CONCLUSIONS: Implant survival in this study was independent of anatomic location of implants. Virtually all clinical performance factors were improved by design changes in implant restorative components that were brought to market in early 1991.     

Clinical assessment of olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson''s disease

The possibility of placing endosseous implants in the edentulous maxilla is frequently reduced by inadequate bone volume of the residual ridge. In totally edentulous maxillae with knife-edge conformation, insufficient thickness is frequently associated with insufficient height of the residual ridge in the posterior maxilla because of pneumatization of the maxillary sinuses. This surgical method combines grafting of the maxillary sinuses, onlay grafts on the buccal side of maxillary posterior segments, and sagittal osteotomy of the anterior maxilla with interpositional bone grafts. Five to six months after maxillary reconstruction, Br?nemark implants were placed and, after osseointegration occurred, implant-supported dental prostheses were fabricated. Three patients have been treated with this method and 22 implants have been placed. The mean follow-up after final prosthetic rehabilitation has been 16 months; survival rate has been 100%. Despite the small number of patients and the short follow-up, preliminary results have shown very promising results.     

Short-term healing following the use of calcium sulfate as a grafting material for sinus augmentation: a clinical report

Because of the frequent lack of bone in the posterior maxilla, sinus augmentation has become a commonly practiced treatment modality. Many different materials have been used for augmenting the sinus, and the ideal graft is yet to be found. The present article reports the results of sinuses grafted with calcium sulfate in 2 patients. Bone biopsies were harvested 9 months after the augmentation procedure. In the first patient, 3 titanium threaded-cylinder implants were placed in the grafted area after 9 months, while in the second, 1 acid-etched, screw-shaped titanium implant was placed simultaneously with the graft. Light microscopic evaluation revealed new bone formation with ongoing remodeling and progressive lamellar maturation in the specimens. No remnants of the alloplastic material were detectable in any section, either within the bone or in the medullary tissue. When reevaluated at the uncovering procedure, the implants were radiographically and clinically judged to be osseointegrated. These observations suggest that, when used in the appropriate form and with the proper technique, calcium sulfate is a promising graft material for sinus augmentation, producing adequate quantity and quality of new bone for implant placement.     

Implant reconstruction of the jaws and craniofacial skeleton

Full oral rehabilitation with a high degree of success is now possible with osseointegrated implants. Osseointegration is a direct connection between living bone and the titanium implant at the level of the light microscope. Osseointegrated implants are currently used to replace single teeth, support fixed bridges and stabilize full dentures. These implants can also be placed extraorally for attachment of facial prosthesis. The surgical technique used to place implants intraorally into jaws or facial skeleton is performed in two stages using a local anesthetic and/or conscious sedation. During stage I surgery, holes are placed into the jaw using a series of gradually larger diameter burs until the desired diameter and depth of the bony preparation is achieved. The implant is then placed. The implant must remain undisturbed for 4 months for osseointegration to take place. Stage II surgery is then required to remove the mucosa over the implant and place the transmucosal abutment. After 1-2 weeks of healing, the restorative dentist can take an impression and fabricate the prosthesis. On occasion, it is necessary to augment the height and width of the atrophic jaw with autogenous or allogeneic bone grafts prior to implant placement. Bone grafts are sometimes placed on the floor of the nose or the floor of the maxillary sinus. Guided tissue regeneration is a technique used to generate bone within bony defects adjacent to implants. With long-term rates of success (5 years) of 99% for implants placed in the mandible and 95% for those placed in the maxilla, reconstruction of the jaws and cranial facial skeleton with osseointegrated implants has become the treatment of choice.     

Long-term evaluation of the use of coralline hydroxyapatite in orthognathic surgery

PURPOSE: This prospective study was designed to evaluate the long-term clinical and radiographic results of porous block hydroxyapatite (PBHA) used as a synthetic bone graft in orthognathic surgery and craniofacial augmentation. PATIENTS AND MATERIALS: A total of 245 consecutive patients were treated initially. Inclusion criteria for this study included a minimum clinical and radiographic follow-up of 5 years. In addition, all patients with known implant failures were included regardless of whether they met the study criteria. There were 111 patients that met the criteria for inclusion in this study. All patients had undergone orthognathic surgery with rigid fixation and had had inlay or onlay PBHA implants placed. Ninety-six percent of the implants were placed through an intraoral approach. Long-term postoperative radiographs were visually compared with immediate postoperative radiographs for implant position, stability, resorption, and other significant radiographic changes. The clinical examination evaluated for signs and symptoms of infection, wound dehiscence, implant exposure, implant displacement, changes in the overlying mucosa, and development of oronasal or oroantral fistulae. RESULTS: Four hundred seventy-one implants were placed: 403 in the maxilla, 44 in the mandible, and 24 in the periorbital region. There were 289 implants placed in direct communication with the maxillary sinus. The average follow-up time was 7.2 years (range, 5.0 to 10.3 years). Twenty-three implants (4.9%) were removed during the evaluation period. Lateral maxillary wall grafting had 95.7% success, with nine implants being lost in three patients. One chin implant was removed because of dissatisfaction with the aesthetics. Seven (14%) midpalatal implants used for maxillary expansion were lost, primarily because of exposure of the implant to the oral or nasal cavity at the time of surgery. When PBHA was used for alveolar cleft grafting, there was a 100% failure rate. CONCLUSION: The use of PBHA as a bone graft substitute in orthognathic surgery and for facial augmentation showed a high percentage of success and efficacy. However, adequate soft tissue coverage in the nasal floor and on the palate are paramount for success of midpalatal implants. PBHA should not be used for alveolar cleft grafting. Rigid fixation for inlay implants in the maxilla is important to provide stress shielding of the material and minimize micromovement during the initial healing phase.     

A case of systemic arterial supply to the normal left basal segments with no symptoms

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The surgical and restorative procedures at the posterior region of the maxilla and the mandible present a complex task in the treatment of partially edentulous patients. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of short hydroxylapatite-coated dental implants to the posterior mandible of partially edentulous patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eight and 11 mm implants were evaluated as to their cumulative survival rate, clinical status (plaque index, gingival index, probing depth), and marginal bone loss over a 5-year period. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The verified overall cumulative survival rate was 94% for implants and 91% for prostheses. These results suggest predictable success for the application of short implants to the posterior mandible.     

Biomechanical advantages of wide-diameter implants

In implant cases in which bone quantity and interdental space are sufficient, wide-diameter implants may be preferable to standard-size implants in restoring the partially edentulous patient. Although wide-diameter implants are often considered for their esthetic possibilities, they can also offer important biomechanical advantages, particularly in reducing the magnitude of stress delivered to various parts of the implant and in improving stability. In this article, standard 3.7-mm- and wide 4.7-mm-diameter implants are compared and discussed.     

Biological factors contributing to failures of osseointegrated oral implants. (I). Success criteria and epidemiology

The aim of this review was to offer a critical evaluation of the literature and to provide the clinician with scientifically-based diagnostic criteria for monitoring the implant condition. The review presents the current opinions on definitions of osseointegration and implant failure. Further, distinctions between failed and failing implants are discussed together with the presently used parameters to assess the implant status. Radiographic examinations together with implant mobility tests seem to be the most reliable parameters in the assessment of the prognosis for osseointegrated implants. On the basis of 73 published articles, the rates of early and late failures of Br?nemark implants, used in various anatomical locations and clinical situations, were analyzed using a metanalytic approach. Biologically related implant failures calculated on a sample of 2,812 implants were relatively rare: 7.7% over a 5-year period (bone graft excluded). The predictability of implant treatment was remarkable, particularly for partially edentulous patients, who showed failure rates about half those of totally edentulous subjects. Our analysis also confirmed (for both early and late failures) the general trend of maxillas, having almost 3 times more implant losses than mandibles, with the exception of the partially edentulous situation which displayed similar failure rates both in upper and lower jaws. Surgical trauma together with anatomical conditions are believed to be the most important etiological factors for early implant losses (3.60% of 16,935 implants). The low prevalence of failures attributable to peri-implantitis found in the literature together with the fact that, in general, partially edentulous patients have less resorbed jaws, speak in favour of jaw volume, bone quality, and overload as the three major determinants for late implant failures in the Br?nemark system. Conversely, the ITI system seemed to be characterized by a higher prevalence of losses due to peri-implantitis. These differences may be attributed to the different implant designs and surface characteristics. On the basis of the published literature, there appears to be a number of scientific issues which are yet not fully understood. Therefore, it is concluded that further clinical follow-up and retrieval studies are required in order to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms for failure of osseointegrated implants.     

Available bone is the foremost criterion in the insertion of endosteal implants

The foremost criterion in the insertion of endosteal implants is bone availability. Implant dentists should consider first the amount of available bone of the edentulous ridge where the endosteal implant will be inserted. A common error and cause of many implant failures is the dentist's use of an implant modality which is not indicated for the density and morphology of the available bone in the edentulous ridge. Implant modality/system is not the primary criterion in the insertion of endosteal implants. Before the dentist inserts an endosteal implant, he should gauge or measure the amount of bone where the implant is intended to be placed. It should be measured in width, height, length, trajectory, and implant-crown ratio. After recording the measurements of the available bone, these should be placed in different categories to serve as guides in implant selection. If there is not enough bone for the endosteal implant, bone modification should be performed. This can be done either by osteoplasty or ridge augmentation with the use of bone grafting materials. Aside from the amount of available bone in the edentulous ridge, another very, very important thing that should be considered is the quality or its density. Any biocompatible implant demonstrates some osseointegrated surfaces depending upon the bone type into which it is placed and the loads placed upon it. Implant body must exhibit a macrogeometry suitable for acceptable levels of force transfer to the surrounding tissues as well as for implantation into a bony site of a particular anatomic size.     

Chromosomal localization of a human mucin gene (MUC8) and cloning of the cDNA corresponding to the carboxy terminus

The objective of this study was to determine the predictability of endosseous implants placed in a maxillary sinus grafted with a mixture of bovine porous bone mineral and demineralized freeze-dried bone. Sixty implants were placed in 20 patients representing 28 sinuses using either a one- or two-stage technique. After an implant loading period of more than 2 years, the survival rate (eg, a clinically functioning implant without signs of mobility or infection) varied from 90% to 96%. No infections or other complications were encountered. The data suggest that this treatment regimen can result in a high rate of survival.     

A general dentist's guide to proper dental implant placement from an oral surgeon's perspective

This article is designed to help the general or restorative dentist more accurately predict proper implant placement by using palatal stents for the maxilla and lingual stents for the mandible, as well as parallel pin guides and vacupress stents, which help ensure both precise location and angulation. Because these stents and pin guides are easily used during surgery, the restorative dentist can prescribe with accuracy the exact position where the implants should be placed. To further the predictability of implant placement, especially in the anterior maxilla, an abutment can actually be placed into the pilot hole in the bone and checked with a vacupress stent before making the implant socket.     

Advanced surgical procedures: bone augmentation

Over the last ten years there has been a significant increase in the range and type of edentulous defects that can be treated using osseointegrated implants. Encouraged by the long-term success of implant reconstructions in the edentulous mandible and maxilla, and the availability of novel implant attachments, clinicians will now undertake more elaborate treatment involving the partially edentate and those with localized or generalized tissue deficiencies. This clinical trend places increasing demands on the predictability, complexity and accuracy of the surgical procedure necessary to allow a successful prosthetic reconstruction. This is especially so when potential implant sites lie in areas of high aesthetic or functional requirements.     

Maintenance and treatment of the ailing and failing implant

Due to the pathologic nature of oral bacteria, the partially edentulous implant patient is at a greater risk than the fully edentulous. Peri-implantitis and/or retrograde peri-implantitis can result in ultimate loss of the implant fixture. It is important that the implant dentist understand the difference between the ailing implant, the failing implant, and the failed implant. This article discusses the pathologic diseases that affect dental implants and how to treat the "infected" implant (degranulation and detoxification) for titanium and hydroxylapatite-coated implants. Implant maintenance, including hand or motorized brushes, flosses, and oral rinses (chlorhexidine, 0.2%) will also be presented.     

Short (6-mm) nonsubmerged dental implants: results of a Multicenter clinical trial of 1 to 7 years

Limited bone height restricts the use of long dental implants, so short implants may be selected in these situations. Recent reports on clinical results with short implants have been negative, however, and have suggested that indications for the use of these implants are limited. To verify these findings, a multicenter study of short ITI implants was carried out. In a 6-year period 253 short implants with a length of 6 mm were placed into 126 patients, who were followed up from 1 to 7 years. Altogether 7 implants were removed; 6 of these were located in the maxilla and 1 in the mandible. The quality of survival was comparable with the clinical results of longer implants from the same implant system. Although the clinical results of these short implants were favorable, it is recommended that they be used in combination with longer implants, especially when used in the less dense bone that is often seen in the maxilla.     

Statistical research needs in mechanistic modelling for carcinogenic risk assessment

This study reports the results of implant therapy involving a sinus membrane lift as well as conventional implant therapy in 24 periodontally compromised patients who were treated during the period between June 1990 and May 1995. Patients were included on the basis of being in need of at least 2 implants, 1 of which was to be placed in the maxillary sinus region, and at least 3 mm bone height was required in the sinus region. Following fenestration of the lateral sinus wall and lifting of the sinus membrane sinus implants were inserted as described for conventional implants. Annual follow-up visits included recording of plaque, probing pocket depth and bleeding on probing, and recording of the radiographic distance from the implant shoulder to the alveolar crest in mm. The Astra, Astra sinus, ITI, and ITI sinus were observed for an average of 30.8, 29.9, 29.4 and 25.3 months, respectively. Of the 80 implants inserted 1 Astra and 2 ITI had failed at 11-12 months and 1 ITI had failed at 42 months. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the proportion of non-failed implants at 36 months were 100%, 95%, 91%, and 86% for the Astra, Astra sinus, ITI, and ITI sinus implants, respectively. Of the Astra, Astra sinus, and ITI implants, 71-82% remained free from bone-loss > or = 1.5 mm at 36 months, whereas this was the case for only 29% of the ITI sinus implants. About 80-90% of the implants remained free from plaque; 65-86% remained free from bleeding; and 44-80% remained free from pockets > or = 4 mm. These results indicate that the sinus lift technique can be used successfully in periodontally compromised patients.     

Increase in skeletal muscle protein content by the beta-2 selective adrenergic agonist clenbuterol exacerbates hypoalbuminemia in rats fed a low-protein diet

Between 1990 and 1995, 214 implants were placed in 29 maxillae and mandibles of 22 patients following extraction of all residual teeth as a consequence of severe periodontal disease. All patients were discharged wearing immediate dentures. The implants were analyzed with regard to the number per arch, location, length, and diameter. The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 98.5%. The mean number of implants per arch was 7.5 for the maxilla and 7.2 for the mandible. The preferred implant locations were canines, central incisors, lateral incisors, and second premolars in the maxilla; and lateral incisors, first molars, and canines in the mandible. The mean implant length was 14.7 mm in the mandible and 14.5 mm in the maxilla. The mean implant diameter was 3.8 mm in the maxilla and 3.8 mm in the mandible. The results of the present study indicate that immediate implantation for fixed full-arch reconstruction can be considered a viable treatment alternative in patients with severe periodontal disease.     

Acute respiratory distress syndrome in children

In 1991, the Dental Implant Clinical Research Group initiated a long-term clinical study in cooperation with the Department of Veterans Affairs to investigate the influence of implant design, application, and site of placement on clinical performance and crestal bone height. As part of this investigation, Periotest values for 2,212 root from implants were determined at second-stage surgery and during a 24-month follow-up period. Mean Periotest values decreased for implants placed in quality 1 and 2 bone, did not change for implants in quality 3 bone, and increased for implants in quality 4 bone. Implants in the posterior maxilla and single implants in the anterior maxilla had increasing mean Periotest values as compared with decreasing values for implants in other regions. Mean Periotest values for uncoated implants decreased gradually to approach those of hydroxyapatite-coated implants.