title: Nerve damage assessment following implant placement in human cadaver jaws: an ex vivo comparative study.
abstract: The present study compared the use of cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) images and intra-oral radiographs in the placement of final implant drills in terms of nerve damage to cadaver mandibles. Twelve cadaver hemimandibles obtained from 6 cadavers were used. Right hemimandibles were imaged using peri-apical radiography and left hemimandibles using CBCT, and the images obtained were used in treatment planning for the placement of implant drills (22 for each modality, for a total of 44 final drills). Specimens were dissected, and the distances between the apex of the final implant drill and the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle and incisive nerve were measured using a digital calliper. Nerves were assessed as damaged or not damaged, and the Chi-square test was used to compare nerve damage between modalities (P < 0.05). Nerve damage occurred with 7 final drills placed based on peri-apical radiography (31.8%) and 1 final drill placed using CBCT images (4.5%). The difference in nerve damage between imaging modalities was statistically significant (P = 0.023), with CBCT outperforming intraoral film in the placement of final implant drills ex vivo. In order to prevent nerve damage, CBCT is recommended as the principal imaging modality for pre-implant assessment.
authors.affiliation: 1  Ankara University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Prosthodontics, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murat
authors.forename: Kıvanç
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamburoğlu
authors.forename: Cenk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kılıç
authors.forename: Tuncer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozen
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gurbuz
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000098:blood supply / Q000294:innervation; D008334:Mandible / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery*; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing / Q000379:methods; D061221:Trigeminal Nerve Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*