Immediate loading of dental implants placed in severely resorbed edentulous mandibles reconstructed with autogenous calvarial grafts.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this prospective study was to present the clinical outcome of immediately loaded dental implants placed in edentulous, severely atrophied mandibles, after reconstruction with autogenous multilayered calvarial grafts.


METHODS
Six patients, two males and four females, aged 40-67 years (mean: 56 years) presenting with severely atrophied edentulous mandibles (Cawood and Howell class VI), were reconstructed with multilayered calvarial bone grafts placed in the intraforaminal area of the mandible. Five to 8 months afterwards, 23 dental implants were placed in the reconstructed areas (three to four implants per patient) and immediately loaded with implant-supported overdentures. Patients were followed with clinical and radiographic controls annually.


RESULTS
Recovery after the reconstruction was uneventful in all patients. All 23 implants were osseointegrated 1-3 years after the start of immediate loading. The survival and success rates of implants were 100% and 95.7%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Results from this study showed that immediate loading of dental implants placed in severely atrophied edentulous mandibles reconstructed with calvarial bone grafts is a predictable procedure, which permits a successful dental rehabilitation with a shortening of treatment times.
Chiapasco
Matteo
M
Unit of Oral Surgery, Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Dentistry, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. matteo.chiapasco@unimi.it
Gatti
Claudio
C
Gatti
Fulvio
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000601:surgery*; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D000044:Dental Abutments; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods*; D015921:Dental Implants; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D003828:Denture, Overlay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016348:Osseointegration / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D019291:Skull Base; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015921:Dental Implants