Reconstruction of severely atrophic jaws using homografts and simultaneous implant placement: a retrospective study

In the past decade, several investigators have reported that implants inserted in autografts in the same operation (ie, simultaneously inserted implants [SIIs]) have achieved excellent results. However, no report regarding SIIs placed in fresh frozen bone (FFB) is available. Thus, the authors planned a retrospective study on a series of SIIs placed in homologue FFB (but not immediately loaded) to evaluate their clinical outcome. In addition, a comparison with implants inserted in FFB in a second stage (ie, delayed inserted implants) was performed. Seventeen patients were grafted with FFB, and 48 implants were inserted in the same operation. Implant diameter and length ranged from 3.25 to 4.0 mm and from 10.0 to 15 mm, respectively. Data were compared with 302 implants inserted in FFB in a second operation during the same period in 64 patients. Analyzing SIIs, it was noted that only 3 implants were lost (ie, survival rate [SVR] = 93.7%), and no differences were detected among the studied variables by using lost implants as a predictor of clinical outcome. On the contrary, by using crestal bone resorption around the implant's neck and specific cutoff values, it was possible to demonstrate that prosthetic restoration (ie, removable overdentures) correlated with a statistically significant lower delta insertion abutment junction (ie, reduced crestal bone loss) and thus with a better clinical outcome. By comparing SIIs with implants inserted in a second stage in FFB, a better outcome for delayed implants was demonstrated. Implants inserted simultaneously with FFB grafts had a high survival and success rate. SIIs inserted in FFB can be considered reliable devices, although a higher marginal bone loss is to be expected when fixed prosthetic restorations are used. Implants inserted in a second surgical stage have a better SVR and success rate than SIIs.