Implants placed in FFAB showed a high SVR similar to that reported in previous studies on maxillae grafted with autogenous iliac crest bone. Although our data point to more marginal bone loss in partially edentulous patients and for fixed prosthetic restorations, the use of FFAB for reconstruction of the atrophic jaw prior to implant placement can be considered as a reliable alternative to autogenous bone.

In the last decade several studies have been performed to evaluate the clinical outcome of implants inserted into grafted mandibles with autologous bone, but none is available on mandibles grafted with fresh-frozen bone. Thus, we planned a retrospective study on a series of implants inserted into homologue fresh-frozen bone to evaluate their clinical outcome. Twenty-one patients were operated on, 28 onlay grafts were inserted into the mandible, and 63 implants placed. Patients had total and partial edentulism in 11 and 10 cases, respectively. The mean follow-up was 20 months. No or reduced crestal bone resorption was considered an indicator of success rate to evaluate the effect of several host-, implant-, and occlusal-related factors. The difference between the implant-abutment junction and the bone crestal level was defined as the implant abutment junction (IAJ) and calculated at the time of operation and during follow-up by means of radiographs. Delta IAJ, the difference between theIAJ at the last check-up and the IAJ recorded just after the operation, were stratified according to variables of interests. Kaplan-Meier algorithm and Cox regression were then performed to detect those variables statistically associated with the delta IAJ. Only 2 of 63 implants were lost (i.e., survival rates = 96.8%) and no differences were detected among the studied variables. On the contrary, Cox regression showed that prosthetic restoration (i.e., removable dentures) was the only factor correlated with a statistically significant lower delta IAJ (i.e., reduced crestal bone loss) and thus a better clinical outcome. Implants inserted into mandibles grafted with fresh-frozen bone allografts have high survival rates and success rate, which are comparable with those obtained with autologous iliac crest bone grafts.

Objective:Narrow diameter implants (NDI) (i.e. diameter <3.75 mm) are a potential solution for specific clinical situations, such as reduced interradicular bone, thin alveolar crest and replacement of teeth with small cervical diameter. NDI have been available in clinical practice since the 1990s, but only few studies have analyzed their clinical outcome and no study have investigated NDI inserted in fresh-frozen bone (FFB) grafts. Thus, a retrospective study on a series of NDI placed in homologue FFB was designed to evaluate their clinical outcome.Material and Methods:In the period between December 2003 and December 2006, 36 patients (22 females and 14 males, mean age 53 years) with FFB grafts were selected and 94 different NDI were inserted. The mean follow-up was 25 months. To evaluate the effect of several host-, surgery-, and implant-related factors, marginal bone loss (MBL) was considered an indicator of success rate (SCR). The Kaplan Meier algorithm and Cox regression were used.Results:Only 5 out of 94 implants were lost (i.e. survival rate - SVR 95.7%) and no differences were detected among the studied variables. On the contrary, the Cox regression showed that the graft site (i.e. maxilla) reduced MBL.Conclusions:NDI inserted in FFB have a high SVR and SCR similar to those reported in previous studies on regular and NDI inserted in non-grafted jaws. Homologue FFB is a valuable material in the insertion of NDI.

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In the case of severe jaw atrophy several options are available to restore the alveolar crest. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the resorption over time of homologous fresh frozen bone used to restore the alveolar ridge. Specifically factors influencing (1) graft survival, (2) type, and (3) degree of bone resorption were evaluated. One hundred and thirteen maxillae and 27 mandibles were grafted. The surgical techniques used were 102 inlay, 27 onlay, and 11 veneer. Measurements were taken on pre-operative, post-operative, and follow-up radiographs. Data were processed by using three statistical methods: Kaplan-Meier algorithm, Cox regression, and curve estimation. As regards graft survival, Cox regression output showed a statistically significant effect only on surgical technique (P = 0.0312) and Kaplan-Meier algorithm demonstrated a worse outcome for veneer surgical technique (Log rank test = 0.0242). The Curve estimation demonstrated an inverse correlation between degree of bone resorption over time, with a progressive decrease. In conclusion FFB is a reliable material for alveolar bone restoration with a predicable average of resorption.