title: A systematic review of observational studies evaluating implant placement in the maxillary jaws of medically compromised patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Even though the efficacy of implant treatment and the excellent success rates that modern implant surfaces yield remain unchallenged, there is limited information available on implant success rates in medically compromised patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the survival of implants placed in the maxillary jaws of medically compromised patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two reviewers using predefined selection criteria performed an electronic search complemented by a manual search, independently and in duplicate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the final selection, 11 studies reporting on four distinct medical conditions were included out of 405 potentially eligible titles. In detail, three studies reported on implants placed in diabetic patients, six on implants placed in patients with a history of oral cancer, one on implants in patients with a history of epilepsy, and one on implants in patients with autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Placement of maxillary implants in medically compromised patients seems to yield acceptable survival rates. Implant survival in well-controlled diabetic patients, patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and patients treated for severe epilepsy is comparable to that in healthy patients. Implants placed in the maxillae of patients treated for oral cancer may attain osseointegration less predictably than in the mandible.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Education Program in Periodontology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Georgios A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Kotsakis
authors.affiliation: Advanced Education Program in Periodontology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Andreas L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ioannou
authors.affiliation: Advanced Education Program in Periodontology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hinrichs
authors.affiliation: School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Georgios E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Romanos
mesh_terms: D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants; D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery*; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants
keywords: implant survival; implantology; maxillary reconstruction; survival rate