Collagen/hydroxylapatite implant for augmenting deficient alveolar ridges: twelve-month clinical data

In a multicenter study, 77 edentulous patients had mandibular augmentation with implants of purified fibrillar collagen combined with dense hydroxylapatite (Alveoform Biograft); 22 of these patients also had maxillary augmentation. Most patients had Class III or IV mandibular atrophy, and had outpatient surgery with the subperiosteal tunneling technique. Temporary splints were worn for 24 hours post-surgery. Mean ridge height was 15.3 mm before surgery and 19.5 mm after 12 months, an augmentation of 4.2 mm. Predictable compaction occurred largely in the first few months after denture loading. Most patients, surgeons, and prosthodontists assessed the results of the procedure as good to excellent at 1 year following implantation. Adverse experiences, largely dehiscence and paresthesia, tended to resolve over time. Sera from ten patients demonstrated antibodies to bovine collagen that were not clinically significant. Alveolar augmentation with collagen/hydroxylapatite achieved clinically significant results that compared favorably with those achieved with other types of ceramic implants.