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Resorbable screw fixation for cortical onlay bone grafting: a pilot study with preliminary results
Faisal A Quereshy1, Hardeep S Dhaliwal, Sibel A El
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals/Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. FAQ@case.edu
Summary
Resorbable screws offer a viable alternative to titanium for securing bone grafts in alveolar ridge augmentation, showing similar graft integration and survival rates without the need for removal.
Area of Science:
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Autogenous bone grafting is the standard for alveolar ridge augmentation.
- Rigid fixation of grafts is crucial, often achieved with titanium screws.
- Titanium screws pose risks like secondary surgery for removal and potential fracture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of resorbable fixation screws versus titanium screws for securing autologous cortical onlay grafts.
- To augment alveolar bone height and/or width prior to dental implant placement.
Main Methods:
- Eleven patients underwent alveolar ridge augmentation with autologous cortical onlay grafts.
- Grafts were randomly fixated with either 2.0-mm resorbable screws (experimental) or 1.5-mm titanium screws (control).
- Graft integration, survivability, and resorption were assessed using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) at 4-7 months post-surgery.
Main Results:
- All 12 placed grafts (9 patients) demonstrated 100% integration and survivability, irrespective of fixation type.
- CBCT analysis revealed 28.07% resorption with resorbable screws versus 40.03% with titanium screws (P > .05) at 5-7 months.
- No statistically significant difference in resorption was observed between the two fixation methods.
Conclusions:
- Resorbable screws provide comparable graft integration and survival to titanium screws in alveolar ridge augmentation.
- Utilizing resorbable screws eliminates the need for a second surgical procedure for screw removal.
- This approach may reduce complications associated with screw removal, such as breakage or difficulty due to overgrowth.
