Endosseous cylinder implants in severely atrophic mandibles

A retrospective study was completed to assess the success rate of endosseous cylinder implants placed in mandibles that were 10 mm or less in maximum anterior height as measured from lateral cephalometric radiographs. Only implants that were located anteriorly between the mental foramina and loaded prosthetically for a minimum of 1 year were studied. Twenty-eight patients with a total of 130 Nobelpharma implants (forty-six 7 mm and eighty-four 10 mm) were included. The fixtures were evaluated following standard clinical criteria for success established for implants of this type. A total of 8 (two 7 mm and six 10 mm) of 130 implants failed, yielding an overall success rate of 94%. Major complications encountered included a complete mandibular fracture, a partial mandibular fracture, and a temporary bilateral mental nerve hypoesthesia.