Inter and intra-operator reliability of Lekholm and Zarb classification and proposal of a novel radiomic data-driven clustering for qualitative assessment of edentulous alveolar ridges.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to evaluate the reproducibility of Lekholm and Zarb classification system (L&Z) for bone quality assessment of edentulous alveolar ridges and to investigate the potential of a data-driven approach for bone quality classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six expert clinicians were asked to classify 110 CBCT cross-sections according to L&Z classification (T0). The same evaluation was repeated after one month with the images put in a different order (T1). Intra- and inter-examiner agreement analyses were performed using Cohen's kappa coefficient (CK) and Fleiss' kappa coefficient (FK), respectively. Additionally, radiomic features extraction was performed from 3D edentulous ridge blocks derived from the same 110 CBCTs, and unsupervised clustering using 3 different clustering methods was used to identify patterns in the obtained data. RESULTS: Intra-examiner agreement between T0 and T1 was weak (CK 0.515). Inter-examiner agreement at both time points was minimal (FK at T0: 0.273; FK at T1: 0.243). The three different unsupervised clustering methods based on radiomic features aggregated the 110 CBCTs in three groups in the same way. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed low agreement among clinicians when using L&Z classification, indicating that the system may not be as reliable as previously thought. The present study suggests the possible application of a reproducible data-driven approach based on radiomics for the classification of edentulous alveolar ridges, with potential implications for improving clinical outcomes. Further research is needed to determine the clinical significance of these findings and to develop more standardized and accurate methods for assessing bone quality of edentulous alveolar ridges.

Can radiomic features extracted from intra-oral radiographs predict physiological bone remodelling around dental implants? A hypothesis-generating study.

AIM: The rate of physiological bone remodelling (PBR) occurring after implant placement has been associated with the later onset of progressive bone loss and peri-implantitis, leading to medium- and long-term implant therapy failure. It is still questionable, however, whether PBR is associated with specific bone characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess whether radiomic analysis could reveal not readily appreciable bone features useful for the prediction of PBR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiomic features were extracted from the radiographs taken at implant placement (T0) using LifeX software. Because of the multi-centre design of the source study, ComBat harmonization was applied to the cohort. Different machine-learning models were trained on selected radiomic features to develop and internally validate algorithms capable of predicting high PBR. In addition, results of the algorithm were included in a multivariate analysis with other clinical variables (tissue thickness and depth of implant position) to test their independent correlation with PBR. RESULTS: Specific radiomic features extracted at T0 are associated with higher PBR around tissue-level implants after 3 months of unsubmerged healing (T1). In addition, taking advantage of machine-learning methods, a naive Bayes model was trained using radiomic features selected by fast correlation-based filter (FCBF), which showed the best performance in the prediction of PBR (AUC = 0.751, sensitivity = 66.0%, specificity = 68.4%, positive predictive value = 73.3%, negative predictive value = 60.5%). In addition, results of the whole model were included in a multivariate analysis with tissue thickness and depth of implant position, which were still found to be independently associated with PBR (p-value < .01). CONCLUSION: The combination of radiomics and machine-learning methods seems to be a promising approach for the early prediction of PBR. Such an innovative approach could be also used for the study of not readily disclosed bone characteristics, thus helping to explain not fully understood clinical phenomena. Although promising, the performance of the radiomic model should be improved in terms of specificity and sensitivity by further studies in this field.

Influence of buccal and palatal bone thickness on post-surgical marginal bone changes around implants placed in posterior maxilla: a multi-centre prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Numerous clinical variables may influence early marginal bone loss (EMBL), including surgical, prosthetic and host-related factors. Among them, bone crest width plays a crucial role: an adequate peri-implant bone envelope has a protective effect against the influence of the aforementioned factors on marginal bone stability. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of buccal and palatal bone thickness at the time of implant placement on EMBL during the submerged healing period. METHODS: Patients presenting a single edentulism in the upper premolar area and requiring implant-supported rehabilitation were enrolled following inclusion and exclusion criteria. Internal connection implants (Twinfit, Dentaurum, Ispringen, Germany) were inserted after piezoelectric implant site preparation. Mid-facial and mid-palatal thickness and height of the peri-implant bone were measured immediately after implant placement (T0) with a periodontal probe and recorded to the nearest 0.5 mm. After 3 months of submerged healing (T1), implants were uncovered and measurements were repeated with the same protocol. Kruskal-Wallis test for independent samples was used to compare bone changes from T0 to T1. Multivariate linear regression models were built to assess the influence of different variables on buccal and palatal EMBL. RESULTS: Ninety patients (50 females, 40 males, mean age 42.9 ± 15.1 years), treated with the insertion of 90 implants in maxillary premolar area, were included in the final analysis. Mean buccal and palatal bone thickness at T0 were 2.42 ± 0.64 mm and 1.31 ± 0.38 mm, respectively. Mean buccal and palatal bone thickness at T1 were 1.92 ± 0.71 mm and 0.87 ± 0.49 mm, respectively. Changes in both buccal and palatal thickness from T0 to T1 resulted statistically significant (p = 0.000). Changes in vertical bone levels from T0 to T1 resulted not significant both on buccal (mean vertical resorption 0.04 ± 0.14 mm; p = 0.479) and palatal side (mean vertical resorption 0.03 ± 0.11 mm; p = 0.737). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed a significant negative correlation between vertical bone resorption and bone thickness at T0 on both buccal and palatal side. CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest that a bone envelope > 2 mm on the buccal side and > 1 mm on the palatal side may effectively prevent peri-implant vertical bone resorption following surgical trauma. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The present study was retrospectively recorded in a public register of clinical trials ( www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov - NCT05632172) on 30/11/2022.

Does new bone formation vary in different sites within the same maxillary sinus after lateral augmentation? A prospective histomorphometric study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate histomorphometric outcomes of lateral maxillary sinus augmentation in different areas of the same cavity and to correlate results to bucco-palatal sinus width (SW) and residual bone height (RBH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients needing maxillary sinus floor elevation (RBH <5 mm) to insert two nonadjacent implants were treated with lateral augmentation using a composite graft. Six months later, two bone-core biopsies (mesial/distal) were retrieved in implant insertion sites. SW and RBH were measured on cone beam computed tomography, and correlations between histomorphometric and anatomical parameters were evaluated by multivariate linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Twenty patients underwent sinus augmentation, and eighteen were included in the final analysis (two dropouts for membrane perforation). Mean newly formed mineralized tissue percentage (%NFMT) after 6 months in mesial and distal sites was 17.5 ± 4.7 and 11.6 ± 4.7, respectively (p = .0004). Multivariate linear regression showed a strong negative correlation between SW and %NFMT (ß coefficient=-.774, p < .0001) and no correlation between RBH and %NFMT (ß coefficient =-.038, p = .825). CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirms that %NFMT after lateral sinus augmentation occurs at different rates in different anatomical areas of the same maxillary sinus, showing a strong negative correlation with SW, whereas no influence of RBH was observed. Clinicians should regard SW as a guide for graft selection and to decide duration of the healing period. Researchers should consider SW as a predictor variable, when comparing regenerative outcomes of different biomaterials by using maxillary sinus as an experimental model.

Intraoperative complications and early implant failure after transcrestal sinus floor elevation with residual bone height ≤5 mm: A retrospective multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical indications for maxillary sinus floor elevation with transcrestal techniques have increased in recent years even in sites with minimal residual bone height (RBH). Nevertheless, limited information is currently available on incidence of intraoperative complications and early implant failure in these cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study was performed on anonymized clinical and radiographic records of patients who underwent transcrestal sinus floor elevation in seven clinical centers. Influence of different factors related to patient, and sinus anatomy and surgical technique on the incidence of intraoperative complications and early implant failure rate after transcrestal sinus lift were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 430 patients treated with transcrestal sinus floor elevation for single-implant insertion in sites with RBH ≤5 mm were included in the final analysis. After 1 year of loading, 418 implants of 430 were satisfactorily in function. Early implant failure was recorded in 12 cases (2.8%); results were significantly associated with the presence of large sinus cavities and with the occurrence of membrane perforation. The following adverse events were recorded: membrane perforation (7.2%), acute sinusitis (0.9%), implant displacement into the sinus cavity (0.7%), oro-antral fistula (0.2%), and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (0.5% of osteotome cases). A strong direct correlation between sinus membrane perforation and bucco-palatal sinus width (p = .000) was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: Early implant failure after transcrestal sinus elevation showed significant direct correlation with bucco-palatal maxillary sinus width and the presence of membrane perforation. Sinus membrane perforation was strongly associated with bucco-palatal sinus width (extremely low perforation rate in narrow and much higher incidence in wide sinuses).

Impact of Oral Microbiome in Periodontal Health and Periodontitis: A Critical Review on Prevention and Treatment.

The skin, oral cavity, digestive and reproductive tracts of the human body harbor symbiotic and commensal microorganisms living harmoniously with the host. The oral cavity houses one of the most heterogeneous microbial communities found in the human organism, ranking second in terms of species diversity and complexity only to the gastrointestinal microbiota and including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses. The accumulation of microbial plaque in the oral cavity may lead, in susceptible individuals, to a complex host-mediated inflammatory and immune response representing the primary etiological factor of periodontal damage that occurs in periodontitis. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting about 20-50% of people worldwide and manifesting clinically through the detection of gingival inflammation, clinical attachment loss (CAL), radiographic assessed resorption of alveolar bone, periodontal pockets, gingival bleeding upon probing, teeth mobility and their potential loss in advanced stages. This review will evaluate the changes characterizing the oral microbiota in healthy periodontal tissues and those affected by periodontal disease through the evidence present in the literature. An important focus will be placed on the immediate and future impact of these changes on the modulation of the dysbiotic oral microbiome and clinical management of periodontal disease.

Biological width establishment around dental implants is influenced by abutment height irrespective of vertical mucosal thickness: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Prosthetic abutment height and peri-implant mucosal thickness are considered factors that influence marginal bone remodeling during biological width establishment around dental implants. However, no clinical studies have evaluated their simultaneous effect on marginal bone loss (MBL). This study analyzes the influence of abutment height on MBL around implants surrounded by both thin and thick mucosa up to 12 months after prosthetic loading. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy platform-switched implants with internal hex were placed equicrestally in two groups of patients with different vertical mucosal thickness: thin (≤2.0 mm) and thick mucosa (>2.0 mm). After three months of submerged healing, prosthetic abutments with a height of 1 mm (short) or 3 mm (long) were randomly assigned for single crown screwed restoration in both groups. MBL was evaluated on radiographs taken at implant placement (T0 ), restoration delivery (T1 ), and after 6 months (T2 ) and 12 months (T3 ) of loading. RESULTS: After 12 months of loading, 66 implants were functioning (two dropouts, two failures), resulting in a 97% survival rate. Compared with T0 , mean MBL at T3 ranged between 0.59 and 0.80 mm in short abutment groups and between 0.28 and 0.37 mm in long abutment groups. Differences resulted statistically significant, irrespective of vertical peri-implant mucosal thickness. The MBL pattern over time showed the greatest amount of bone resorption in the first 6 months after loading, particularly around implants with short abutments. CONCLUSIONS: Platform-switched implants restored with short abutments present greater marginal bone loss than identical implants with long abutments, without significant peri-implant mucosal thickness effects.

New bone formation after transcrestal sinus floor elevation was influenced by sinus cavity dimensions: A prospective histologic and histomorphometric study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this multicenter prospective study was to analyze clinically and histologically the influence of sinus cavity dimensions on new bone formation after transcrestal sinus floor elevation (tSFE). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients needing maxillary sinus augmentation (residual crest height <5 mm) were treated with tSFE using xenogeneic granules. Six months later, bone-core biopsies were retrieved for histological analysis in implant insertion sites. Bucco-palatal sinus width (SW) and contact between graft and bone walls (WGC) were evaluated on cone beam computed tomography, and correlations between histomorphometric and anatomical parameters were quantified by means of forward multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Fifty consecutive patients were enrolled and underwent tSFE procedures, and forty-four were included in the final analysis. Mean percentage of newly formed bone (NFB) at 6 months was 21.2 ± 16.9%. Multivariate analysis showed a strong negative correlation between SW and NFB (R2  = .793) and a strong positive correlation between WGC and NFB (R2  = .781). Furthermore, when SW was stratified into three groups (<12 mm, 12 to 15 mm, and >15 mm), NFB percentages (36%, 13% and 3%, respectively) resulted significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: This study represented the first confirmation based on histomorphometric data that NFB after tSFE was strongly influenced by sinus width and occurred consistently only in narrow sinus cavities (SW <12 mm, measured between buccal and palatal walls at 10-mm level, comprising the residual alveolar crest).

Bone Scrapers Versus Piezoelectric Surgery in the Lateral Antrostomy for Sinus Floor Elevation.

The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate 2 different methods for reducing cortical wall thickness in sinus floor augmentation surgery. A manual bone scraper was compared in terms of efficacy, speed, and safety to an ultrasonic insert for osteoplasty, in a randomized controlled clinical trial with a split-mouth design. Twenty-five patients with severe posterior maxillary atrophy were treated with bilateral sinus floor elevation with lateral approach. Antrostomies were randomly performed by eroding the cortical wall with a manual bone scraper (test site) or with an ultrasonic insert (control site) until the membrane was visible under a thin layer of bone, before outlining the window with a piezoelectric device. Occurrence of membrane perforation, laceration of vascular branches, and surgical time were recorded. Mean surgical time of the antrostomy in the test sites was 9'18", while in the control sites was 9'47". No significant differences were found in terms of surgical time, incidence of membrane perforation during antrostomy (4.3% in both groups), or other intraoperative complications between the 2 techniques. Both surgical approaches represent effective options for performing lateral antrostomies during sinus floor elevation procedures in a safe and predictable way.

Influence of Maxillary Sinus Width on New Bone Formation After Transcrestal Sinus Floor Elevation: A Proof-of-Concept Prospective Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Graft maturation in the maxillary sinus requires adequate angiogenesis and osteoprogenitor cells migration from the surrounding bony walls: the aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between sinus cavity dimensions and new bone formation after transcrestal sinus floor elevation (tSFE). METHODS: Patients needing maxillary sinus augmentation (residual crest height ≤ 4 mm) were treated with tSFE using xenogeneic granules. Six months later, bone-core biopsies were retrieved for histological analysis in the implant insertion sites. Buccopalatal sinus width (SW) was evaluated on cone beam computed tomography, and correlations between histomorphometric and anatomical parameters were quantified by means of linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Eight consecutive patients underwent tSFE procedures: at 6 months, average percentage of newly formed bone resulted 24.2% ± 7.9%. Statistical analysis showed a strong inverse correlation between SW and new bone formation (R = 0.88), and a strong direct correlation between the number of exposed bone walls and new bone formation (R = 0.82). CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this proof-of-concept study, in which a restricted number of patients were analyzed, tSFE showed more predictable results in narrow than in large sinuses, in terms of new bone formation.

Indications for implant-supported rehabilitation of the posterior atrophic maxilla: A multidisciplinary consensus among experts in the field utilising the modified Delphi method.

PURPOSE: To establish consensus-driven guidelines that could support the clinical decision-making process for implant-supported rehabilitation of the posterior atrophic maxilla and ultimately improve long-term treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 33 participants were enrolled (18 active members of the Italian Academy of Osseointegration and 15 international experts). Based on the available evidence, the development group discussed and proposed an initial list of 20 statements, which were later evalu-ated by all participants. After the forms were completed, the responses were sent for blinded ana-lysis. In most cases, when a consensus was not reached, the statements were rephrased and sent to the participants for another round of evaluation. Three rounds were planned. RESULTS: After the first round of voting, participants came close to reaching a consensus on six statements, but no consensus was achieved for the other fourteen. Following this, nineteen statements were rephrased and sent to participants again for the second round of voting, after which a consensus was reached for six statements and almost reached for three statements, but no consensus was achieved for the other ten. All 13 statements upon which no consensus was reached were rephrased and included in the third round. After this round, a consensus was achieved for an additional nine statements and almost achieved for three statements, but no consensus was reached for the remaining statement. CONCLUSION: This Delphi consensus highlights the importance of accurate preoperative planning, taking into consideration the maxillomandibular relationship to meet the functional and aesthetic requirements of the final restoration. Emphasis is placed on the role played by the sinus bony walls and floor in providing essential elements for bone formation, and on evaluation of bucco-palatal sinus width for choosing between lateral and transcrestal sinus floor elevation. Tilted and trans-sinus implants are considered viable options, whereas caution is advised when placing pterygoid implants. Zygomatic implants are seen as a potential option in specific cases, such as for completely edentulous elderly or oncological patients, for whom conventional alternatives are unsuitable.

Bone Remodeling and Bone Loss Around Subcrestal Implants: Two Distinct Entities.

Peri-implant marginal bone stability is one of the main features used to evaluate the long-term success of implant therapy. Radiographic marginal bone loss (MBL) up to 2 mm during the first year of function, followed by a maximum of 0.2 mm of loss annually, was among the traditionally accepted criteria defining implant success. Nowadays, improvements in implant design and clinical protocols allow for better preservation of peri-implant bone levels during the physiologic bone remodeling phase.

Marginal bone changes around platform-switched conical connection implants placed 1 or 2 mm subcrestally: A multicenter crossover randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: This study analyzes early marginal bone modifications occurring around platform-switched implants with conical connection placed 1 or 2 mm subcrestally. METHODS: This crossover randomized controlled trial enrolled partially edentulous patients needing two implants in either the posterior maxilla or mandible. Each patient received two platform-switched implants with conical connection inserted 2 mm (Test) and 1 mm (Control) subcrestally. Definitive abutments were immediately connected and, after 4 months of unsubmerged healing, screwed metal-ceramic crowns were delivered. Radiographs were taken at implant placement (T0), prosthesis delivery (T1), and after 1 year of prosthetic loading (T2). RESULTS: Fifty-one patients (25 males and 26 females; mean age 61.2 ± 12.1 years) totaling 102 implants were included in the final analysis. Mean peri-implant bone level (PBL) reduction from T0 to T2 was not significantly different around Test (0.49 ± 0.32 mm) and Control implants (0.46 ± 0.35 mm; p = 0.66). Multivariate linear regression models highlighted a significant positive correlation between history of periodontitis and PBL reduction. At T2, no Test group implant and 6 Control group implants exhibited PBL below the implant platform (11.8% of Control group implants). CONCLUSION: No significant differences in peri-implant marginal bone changes were demonstrated after 1 year of prosthetic loading between platform-switched implants with conical connection inserted either 1 or 2 mm subcrestally. However, 2 mm subcrestal placement resulted in deeper implant positioning at T2, with no exposure of treated implant surface and potential preventive effect against subsequent peri-implant pathology.

Changes in implant stability using different site preparation techniques: Osseodensification drills versus piezoelectric surgery. A multi-center prospective randomized controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Implant stability is influenced by bone density, implant design, and site preparation characteristics. Piezoelectric implant site preparation (PISP) has been demonstrated to improve secondary stability compared with conventional drilling techniques. Osseodensification drills (OD) have been recently introduced to enhance both bone density and implant secondary stability. The objective of the present multi-center prospective randomized controlled trial was to monitor implant stability changes over the first 90 days of healing after implant bed preparation with OD or PISP. METHODS: Each patient received two identical, adjacent or contralateral implants in the posterior maxilla. Following randomization, test sites were prepared with OD and control sites with PISP. Resonance frequency analysis was performed immediately after implant placement and after 7, 14, 21, 28, 60, and 90 days. Implants were then restored with single screw-retained metal-ceramic crowns and followed for 12 months after loading. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (15 males and 12 females; mean age 63.0 ± 11.8 years) were included in final analysis. Each patient received two identical implants in the posterior maxilla (total = 54 implants). After 1 year of loading, 53 implants were satisfactorily in function (one failure in test group 28 days after placement). Mean peak insertion torque (40.7 ± 12.3 Ncm and 39.5 ± 10.2 Ncm in test and control group, respectively) and mean implant stability quotient (ISQ) value at baseline (71.3 ± 6.9 and 69.3 ± 7.6 in test and control group, respectively) showed no significant differences between the two groups. After an initial slight stability decrease, a shift to increasing ISQ values occurred after 14 days in control group and after 21 days in test group, but with no significant differences in ISQ values between the two groups during the first 90 days of healing. CONCLUSION: No significant differences in either primary or secondary stability or implant survival rate after 1 year of loading were demonstrated between implants inserted into sites prepared with OD and PISP.

Advances in Clinical and Molecular Research of Biomaterials in Dentistry: The New Era for Dental Applications.

Biomaterials in dentistry play a fundamental role in the quality of regeneration mechanisms and in healing following different rehabilitation techniques [...].

Clinical and radiographic outcomes following transcrestal maxillary sinus floor elevation with injectable xenogenous bone substitute in gel form: a prospective multicenter study.

PURPOSE: To investigate clinical and radiographic outcomes of transcrestal maxillary sinus floor elevation performed with an injectable xenograft in gel form, analyzing general, local and surgical variables possibly influencing the results. METHODS: Patients with residual crestal height < 5 mm underwent transcrestal sinus floor elevation with xenograft in gel form to allow the placement of a single implant. Simultaneous implant placement was performed when primary stability was ≥ 15 Ncm. Graft height was measured immediately after surgery (T0) and after 6 months of healing (T1). Univariate and multivariate regression models were built to assess associations between clinical variables with implant survival and graft height at T1. RESULTS: 71 patients underwent transcrestal sinus floor elevation and 54 implants were simultaneously placed. Delayed implant placement (at T1) was possible in 5 cases out of 17 (29.4%), whereas in 12 patients (70.6%) implant insertion was not possible or required additional sinus grafting. Implant survival rate, with a follow-up varying from 12 to 32 months after loading, was 100%. Mean pre-operative bone height was 3.8 ± 1.0 mm, at T0 was 13.9 ± 2.2 mm and at T1 was 9.9 ± 2.8 mm. Bone height at T1 was negatively influenced by membrane perforation at surgery (p = 0.004) and positively influenced by immediate implant insertion (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Transcrestal sinus floor elevation performed with injectable xenograft gel resulted in 100% implant survival rate. However, immediate implant insertion seems a crucial factor to preserve vertical bone gain: one-stage technique seems to be the most predictable approach to optimize clinical outcomes with this approach. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05305521. Registered 31 March 2022-Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05305521 .

Influence of apico-coronal positioning of tissue-level implants on marginal bone stability during supracrestal tissue height establishment: A multi-center prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Supracrestal tissue height establishment is a crucial factor influencing peri-implant marginal bone modifications prior to prosthesis delivery. If mucosal thickness is insufficient, peri-implant marginal bone resorption occurs to allow appropriate supracrestal tissue height formation. This study evaluates if marginal bone resorption occurring around tissue-level implants before prosthetic loading could be compensated by adapting apico-coronal positioning to mucosal thickness. METHODS: Patients requiring placement of one single implant in the posterior mandible were treated with tissue-level implants with a 3-mm high transmucosal machined component and moderately rough implant body. Based upon vertical mucosal thickness measured after buccal flap reflection, implants were placed with the treated part: (group 1) 2 mm below crestal level in presence of thin mucosa (<2.5 mm); (group 2) 1 mm below the crestal level in presence of medium mucosa (2.5-3.5 mm); (group 3) at equicrestal level in presence of thick mucosa (>3.5 mm). RESULTS: Forty-nine implants, placed in 49 patients were included in final analysis (group 1: 18 implants; group 2: 16 implants; group 3: 15 implants). Mean marginal bone resorption after 5 months of healing was 0.66 ± 0.49 mm, 0.32 ± 0.41 mm, and 0.22 ± 0.52 mm in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Inter-group analysis highlighted significant differences between the three groups after ANOVA test (p = 0.025). However, adaptation of apico-coronal implant positioning in relation to mucosal thickness, allowed to avoid early exposure of the treated surface in 100%, 93.7%, and 53.3% of the implants in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. CONCLUSION: During supracrestal tissue height formation, tissue-level implants inserted adapting apico-coronal positioning in relation to mucosal thickness exhibited greater marginal bone resorption at sites with thin mucosa than at sites with medium or thick mucosa. However, anticipating supracrestal tissue height establishment by adapting apico-coronal implant positioning in relation to mucosal thickness may effectively prevent unwanted exposure of treated implant surface.

Long-term outcome and health status in decompressive craniectomized patients with intractable intracranial pressure after severe brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Decompressive craniectomy (DC) in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a controversial therapeutic strategy. The long-term functional recovery and health status in a sample of decompressive craniectomized TBI are reported. METHODS: Patients with TBI who underwent DC were retrospectively investigated. Patients with cerebral haemorrhage (CH) and DC were considered as control group. In all survival patients admitted to a neuro-rehabilitation setting, the modified Rankin (mRS), Glasgow Outcome scale (GOS) and Barthel Scales (BS) were administered at admission, discharge, 1 year and follow-up. The quality-of-life was evaluated with the SF-36 questionnaire at follow-up (41.1±16.6 months). RESULTS: Seventy (33 F, 37 M, mean age=46.8, SD=18.8) patients were enrolled: 46 (20 F, 26 M) subjects with TBI and 24 (13 F, 11 M) with CH. After surgery, 11 (23.9%) and 10 (41.6%) subjects in the TBI and CH group, respectively, died. The mean Barthel scores were 4.0 (SD=5.9), 60.9 (SD=37.5), 63.7 (SD=35.1) and 67.3 (SD=38.2) (p<0.001) and median GOS was 3, 4, 4 and 4 at admission, discharge, 1 year and follow-up, respectively, in TBI patients. Seventeen (36.9%) patients with TBI and four (16.6%) with CH made a full recovery. The SF-36 questionnaire showed significant abnormalities in all domains of health status in both groups. CONCLUSION: Craniectomized patients with TBI achieved good long-term outcome, although they experienced significant difficulties in health status.

[Which future solutions for peritoneal dialysis?]

Peritoneal dialysis is an efficient renal replacement therapy for uremic patients but is currently under-prescribed. This is partly due to the unfavorable effects on peritoneal morphology and function (bioincompatibility) of current glucose-based solutions. Use of standard solutions can cause several peritoneal alterations including inflammation, mesothelial to mesenchymal transition, and neo-angiogenesis. The final step is fibrosis, which reduces the peritoneal filtration capacity and can lead to ultrafiltration failure and transfer of the patient to hemodialysis. Bioincompatibility can be local (peritoneum) but also systemic, due to the excessive absorption of glucose from the dialysate. Several strategies have been adopted to improve the biocompatibility of peritoneal dialysis solutions, based on the alleged causal factors. Some new solutions available on the market contain low glucose degradation products and neutral pH, others contain icodextrin or aminoacids. Clinical benefits have been associated with the use of these solutions, which however have some limitations and a debated biocompatibility profile. More recent strategies include the use of cytoprotective agents or osmo-metabolic agents in the dialysate. In this article, we review the different approaches currently under development to improve the biocompatibility of peritoneal dialysis solution and hence the clinical outcome and the viability of the technique.

A New Peritoneal Dialysis Solution Containing L-Carnitine and Xylitol for Patients on Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis: First Clinical Experience.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a feasible and effective renal replacement therapy (RRT) thanks to the dialytic properties of the peritoneal membrane (PM). Preservation of PM integrity and transport function is the key to the success of PD therapy, particularly in the long term, since the prolonged exposure to unphysiological hypertonic glucose-based PD solutions in current use is detrimental to the PM, with progressive loss of peritoneal ultrafiltration capacity causing technique failure. Moreover, absorbing too much glucose intraperitoneally from the dialysate may give rise to a number of systemic metabolic effects. Here we report the preliminary results of the first clinical experience based on the use in continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD) patients of novel PD solutions obtained through partly replacing the glucose load with other osmotically active metabolites, such as L-carnitine and xylitol. Ten CAPD patients were treated for four weeks with the new solutions. There was good tolerance to the experimental PD solutions, and no adverse safety signals were observed. Parameters of dialysis efficiency including creatinine clearance and urea Kt/V proved to be stable as well as fluid status, diuresis, and total peritoneal ultrafiltration. The promising tolerance and local/systemic advantages of using L-carnitine and xylitol in the PD solution merit further research.