Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026
Surgical Technique for the Implantation of Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts and Subsequent In Vivo Monitoring
Published on: April 3, 2015
Interim tissue changes following connective tissue grafting and two-stage implant placement. A randomized clinical
Dimitrios Papapetros1, Vassilis Karagiannis2, Antonis Konstantinidis1
1Lab of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Implant Biology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Aim:
To determine tissue changes at implants placed either conventionally or in combination with a connective tissue graft (CTG).
Materials And Methods:
Forty-eight partially edentulous subjects were randomized into two treatment Groups, and 46 completed the study. Group-A (NA = 23) received crestal implant placement. In Group-B (NB = 23), a CTG harvested from the palate was stabilized over the implant neck. At the time of implant placement (T0), Groups were categorized as having thin mucosa ≤ 2.5 mm at the surgical site (NSubgroup-AI = 12, NSubgroup-BI = 11) or thick mucosa > 2.5 mm (NSubgroup-AII = 11, NSubgroup-BII = 12). Mucosa thickness, width of keratinized tissue (WKT), crestal bone levels and relative bone thickness were determined at T0 and at the two-stage surgery (T1).
Results:
At T1, on the alveolar crest, mucosa thickness significantly decreased in the thick mucosa Subgroups (-AII/-BII, both p = 0.001), but increased at thin mucosa grafted sites (p = 0.049). No significant changes were noted in the WKT for either group. Thin mucosa grafted Subgroups (-AI/-BI) demonstrated significant decreases in crestal bone levels (both p ≤ 0.008). Crestal relative bone thickness decreased in all Subgroups (p ≤ 0.027 for significant changes).
Conclusions:
Connective tissue grafting resulted in smaller reductions of mucosa thickness on the alveolar crest and appeared to have the greater effects at sites with initially thin mucosa.
Related Concept Videos
01:11Introduction to Connective Tissues
01:30Classification of Connective Tissues
Connective Tissue Proper
Connective tissue proper is the most abundant class of connective tissues. As its name implies, it predominantly connects different tissues in the body. Depending on the cell types, ground substance, viscosity, and fiber types in the ECM, connective tissue proper is further categorized into loose and dense....
01:20Embryonic Connective Tissues
The mesenchyme is the first connective tissue that emerges in the developing embryo. It consists of loosely arranged multipotent mesenchymal cells and reticular fibers in the extracellular matrix. This loose arrangement allows easy migration of cells, which is essential for germ layer positioning, patterning, and organ morphogenesis during embryonic development.
01:13Dense Connective Tissue
Dense Regular Connective Tissue
In dense regular connective tissue, fibers are arranged parallel to each other, enhancing its tensile strength and resistance to stretching in the direction of the fiber orientations. Ligaments and tendons are made of dense regular...
01:17Functions of Connective Tissues
Hard connective tissues, such as bones and cartilage, provide structure and support to the body.
01:26Loose Connective Tissue
Adipose Tissue
Adipose tissue consists primarily of fat storage cells called adipocytes and little extracellular matrix. A large number of capillaries present within adipose tissue allow rapid mobilization of lipid molecules. White adipose tissue is...