Survival and complication rates of implant-supported fixed partial dentures with cantilevers: a systematic review

The objective of the present systematic review was to analyze the potential effect of incorporation of cantilever extensions on the survival rate of implant-supported fixed partial dental prostheses (FPDPs) and the incidence of technical and biological complications, as reported in longitudinal studies with at least 5 years of follow-up.

A MEDLINE search was conducted up to and including November 2008 for longitudinal studies with a mean follow-up period of at least 5 years. Two reviewers performed screening and data abstraction independently. Prosthesis-based data on survival/failure rate, technical complications (prosthesis-related problems, implant loss) and biological complications (marginal bone loss) were analyzed.

The search provided 103 titles with abstract. Full-text analysis was performed of 12 articles, out of which three were finally included. Two of the studies had a prospective or retrospective case-control design, whereas the third was a prospective cohort study. The 5-year survival rate of cantilever FPDPs varied between 89.9% and 92.7% (weighted mean 91.9%), with implant fracture as the main cause for failures. The corresponding survival rate for FPDPs without cantilever extensions was 96.3-96.2% (weighted mean 95.8%). Technical complications related to the supra-constructions in the three included studies were reported to occur at a frequency of 13-26% (weighted mean 20.3%) for cantilever FPDPs compared with 0-12% (9.7%) for non-cantilever FPDPs. The most common complications were minor porcelain fractures and bridge-screw loosening. For cantilever FPDPs, the 5-year event-free survival rate varied between 66.7% and 79.2% (weighted mean 71.7%) and between 83.1% and 96.3% (weighted mean 85.9%) for non-cantilever FPDPs. No statistically significant differences were reported with regard to peri-implant bone-level change between the two prosthetic groups, either at the prosthesis or at the implant level.

Data on implant-supported FPDPs with cantilever extensions are limited and therefore survival and complication rates should be interpreted with caution. The incorporation of cantilevers into implant-borne prostheses may be associated with a higher incidence of minor technical complications.