Outcomes of dental implants placed in horizontally augmented or native posterior mandibular bone: a 15-year...

This study assessed and compared the 15-year clinical outcomes of dental implants placed in posterior mandibular native bone versus sites augmented solely with autologous bone. A total of 39 patients received 83 implants as part of two randomized controlled trials. Clinical and radiographic parameters, biological complications, and patient satisfaction were prospectively evaluated at baseline and after 1, 5, and 15 years after placement of the restoration. Patient satisfaction was assessed with a self-administered questionnaire using a five-point scale and a visual analogue scale (0-10).After 15 years, implant survival rates were high in both groups, reaching 94.7% in native bone and 95.3% in augmented bone. Overall morbidity and complication rates were low. However, bleeding (P = 0.022), gingival index (P = 0.038), and peri-implant pocket depth (P < 0.001) were significantly worse in implants placed in native bone. Marginal bone loss from loading to the 15-year follow-up was also significantly greater in native bone (P = 0.001). In addition, peri-implantitis occurred less frequently in the augmented group (P = 0.038). Patient-reported outcomes improved significantly in both groups and remained high throughout the follow-up period.In conclusion, implants placed in both native and augmented posterior mandibular bone demonstrated high long-term survival and predictable outcomes. Nevertheless, implants placed in augmented bone showed reduced peri-implant bone loss and better peri-implant health.