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Buccal Bone Wall Thickness Dictates the Extent of Vertical Buccal Bone Loss Following Implant Placement: A
Jean-Claude Imber1, Andrea Roccuzzo1,2,3, Alberto Monje1,4,5
1Department of Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Aim:
To assess buccal vertical bone resorption following implant placement in healed sites with varying buccal bone wall thicknesses.
Materials And Methods:
In 11 miniature pigs, three tapered hybrid titanium implants were placed per hemi-maxilla in healed bone. Sites were randomised into three groups based on buccal bone wall thickness: G1 (< 1.0 mm), G2 (1.0-1.5 mm) and G3 (> 1.5 mm). Animals were euthanised at 24 h and 2, 4 or 8 weeks. Histological and histometric analyses were performed. The primary outcome was the vertical distance from the transition point (TP) between the machined and moderately rough implant surfaces to the first bone-to-implant contact (fBIC).
Results:
Healing was uneventful. At 2 weeks, all groups showed buccal resorption, although G3 exhibited earlier bone apposition and fewer resorptive signs. By 8 weeks, all G1 implants displayed exposure of the moderately rough surface, while only one implant in G3 showed exposure. TP-fBIC values at 8 weeks were 0.92 ± 0.63 mm (G1), 0.27 ± 0.54 mm (G2, p = 0.041) and -0.16 ± 0.17 mm (G3, p = 0.0002). Bone-to-implant contact increased over time across all groups.
Conclusion:
Thin buccal bone walls (< 1 mm) were associated with greater vertical bone loss and implant surface exposure, whereas thick walls (> 1.5 mm) preserved the buccal bone better and protected the implant surface.
