Biochemical and biomechanical characterization of an autologous protein-based fibrin sealant for regenerative medicine.

Accidental events or surgical procedures usually lead to tissue injury. Fibrin sealants have proven to optimize the healing process but have some drawbacks due to their allogeneic nature. Autologous fibrin sealants present several advantages. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of a new autologous fibrin sealant based on Endoret®PRGF® technology (E-sealant). One of the most widely used commercial fibrin sealants (Tisseel®) was included as comparative Control. E-sealant´s hematological and biological properties were characterized. The coagulation kinetics and the microstructure were compared. Their rheological profile and biomechanical behavior were also recorded. Finally, the swelling/shrinkage capacity and the enzymatic degradation of adhesives were determined. E-sealant presented a moderate platelet concentration and physiological levels of fibrinogen and thrombin. It clotted 30 s after activation. The microstructure of E-sealant showed a homogeneous fibrillar scaffold with numerous and scattered platelet aggregates. In contrast, Control presented absence of blood cells and amorphous protein deposits. Although in different order of magnitude, both adhesives had similar rheological profiles and viscoelasticity. Control showed a higher hardness but both adhesives presented a pseudoplastic hydrogel nature with a shear thinning behavior. Regarding their adhesiveness, E-sealant presented a higher tensile strength before cohesive failure but their elastic stretching capacity and maximum elongation was similar. While E-sealant presented a significant shrinkage process, Control showed a slight swelling over time. In addition, E-sealant presented a high enzymatic resorption rate, while Control showed to withstand the biodegradation process in a significant way. E-sealant presents optimal biochemical and biomechanical properties suitable for its use as a fibrin sealant with regenerative purposes.

Sleep bruxism and sleep respiratory disorders in children and adolescents: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep bruxism (SB) is a repetitive rhythmic and nonrhythmic activity. It can be a comorbid condition for other disorders, such as sleep breathing disorders (SBD). However, a clear causal link between these factors is yet to be established. Moreover, this relationship is even more unknown in children. Thus, this systematic review aimed to determine the relationship between SB and SBD in children and teenagers and consolidate the current knowledge about the possible association between both phenomena at the pediatric age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Advanced searches were performed in five electronic databases with the last search updated on February 1, 2023. The methodological quality of the selected studies was analyzed using the quality assessment tool for experimental bruxism studies. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of 6378 articles were selected for detailed analyses. Most articles found a comorbid relationship between SB and SBD, though no study analyzed a temporary relationship. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a meta-analysis could not be performed. CONCLUSION: Despite the limitations of this systematic review, it can be concluded that there is an association between SB and SBD in children. However, the level of evidence is low.

Dental Implants Survival After Nasal Floor Elevation: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this work is to assess the clinical outcomes of implants placed after a nasal floor elevation procedure. A systematic review was conducted using 4 electronic databases: MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Directory of Open Access Journals, and Scopus, following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews) statement recommendations to answer the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) question: "In patients undergoing dental implant placement in the maxillary anterior region (P), Do implants placed after nasal floor elevation (I) have a different survival (O) from those implants placed without grafting procedures (C)? The study was pre-registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021229479). Included article quality was assessed using the "NIH quality assessment tool", "The Newcastle-Ottawa scale," and "JBI critical appraisal tools for case reports." Twelve articles were finally selected, including 151 patients and 460 implants. The weighted mean follow-up was 32.2 months, and the weighted survival rate after this period was 97.64% (range: 89.2%-100%). No statistical differences could be inferred between the treatments performed in 1- or 2-stage, following a lateral approach or a transcrestal approach or using different grafting materials. A great heterogeneity was found in study design and methodological aspects. For this reason, a quantitative analysis followed by meta-analysis was not possible. Within the limitations of this study, implants placed after a nasal floor elevation present a good survival and a low range of complications. In absence of randomized studies, the level of evidence was low, attending the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) system and based on the study quality level, the strength of evidence attending the SORT (Strength Of Recommendation Taxonomy) was B.

Fifteen-Year Follow-up of Short Dental Implants in the Completely Edentulous Jaw: Submerged Versus Nonsubmerged Healing.

PURPOSE: Short implants are a minimally invasive alternative in the management of alveolar bone atrophy. This study aimed to assess the influence of the surgical approach (1-stage vs 2-stage) on the 15-year survival and marginal bone loss of short implants in a fixed complete denture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective clinical study was conducted in a single private dental clinic that included short implants placed between January 2001 and December 2002. RESULTS: Forty-one short implants supported 18 screw-retained complete dentures. The mean follow-up time was 15 ± 3 years. The surgical approach (1-stage vs 2-stage) did not significantly affect implant survival and marginal bone loss. The implant survival rate was 90.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Short dental implants could be predictably indicated to support fixed complete dentures. The implants could be placed through a 1- or 2-stage surgery.

Clinical Effectiveness of 6.5-mm-Long Implants to Support Two-Implant Fixed Prostheses in Premolar-Molar Region: The Influence of Immediate Loading and the Length of Splinting Implant.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective clinical study was to assess the influence of immediate loading and lengths of splinted implants on the clinical effectiveness of 6.5-mm-long implants supporting two-implant fixed prostheses in the premolar-molar regions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A clinical database was reviewed in a private dental center to select those patients who had 6.5-mm-long implants placed to support two-implant fixed partial prostheses in the premolar-molar regions of the maxilla and the mandible. All implants were immediately loaded. The study groups were defined according to the lengths of the implants. Two groups were identified: the short-short splinted group, when both implants had 6.5 mm lengths, and the short-long splinted group, when one implant was longer than 6.5 mm. A total of 48 dental implants were placed in 16 patients to support 24 two-implant fixed prostheses. The mean follow-up time was 14 ± 5 months. The short-short splinted group included 8 patients with 16 implants; the short-long splinted group included 16 patients with 32 implants. The main variable was implant survival, and secondary outcomes were marginal bone stability and prosthesis survival. RESULTS: The statistical analyses indicated an absence of significant differences between the two groups in terms of implant and prosthesis survival (100% for both groups and both variables); however, distal bone loss around the splinted implants was significantly higher in the short-long splinted group. Bone loss was 0.37 ± 0.55 mm in the short-short splinted group and 0.94 ± 0.66 mm in the short-long splinted group. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate loading of short (6.5-mm-long) implants in the premolar-molar regions did not jeopardize their survival. Two-implant supported prostheses had the same clinical effectiveness, whether extra-short implants were splinted to another extra-short implant or to a longer one.

Frequency of Technical Complications in Fixed Implant Prosthesis: The Effect of Prosthesis Screw Emergence Correction by Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing.

Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology permits the angular correction of screw emergence into the prosthesis; however, there is lack of controlled clinical studies that assess the frequency of technical complications in angled screw channel restorations. This controlled clinical study was designed to assess technical incidences in angled screw channel restorations. Patients who underwent placement of implant prosthesis between November 2014 and December 2015 were screened. The patients were selected if they received a prosthesis with up to 30° correction of the prosthesis screw emergence and had at least 1 nonangulated prosthesis (screw retained). All prostheses were located completely/partially in the posterior region. The frequency of technical complications was the principal variable. A total of 52 patients with a mean age of 62 ± 10 years participated, with a total of 110 prostheses (55 in the test group and 55 in the control group). A total of 11 technical complications occurred (7 in the test group and 4 in the control group). These differences were not statistically significant. All prostheses in both groups survived the follow-up. The correction of the screw emergence into the prosthesis has not increased the risk of technical complications in CAD-CAM implant prostheses.

Tooth autotransplantation as a pillar for 3D regeneration of the alveolar process after severe traumatic injury: A case report.

In dental traumatology, the loss of teeth and the supporting alveolar bone in children compromise the proper development of maxillofacial structures and also limit the solutions that can be offered. In this case report, multidisciplinary management is described of a child with a significant loss of alveolar bone and associated teeth due to a traffic accident at 8 years of age. The management involved staged teeth autotransplantation into surgically prepared sites with bone expanders, orthodontic treatment and dental implants. The 3D regeneration of the alveolar process was successfully stimulated by teeth autotransplantation. At the 4-year follow-up visit, evaluation of the autotransplanted teeth and the implants indicated a successful outcome for the patient.

Rehabilitation of Atrophied Low-Density Posterior Maxilla by Implant-Supported Prosthesis.

The rehabilitation of edentulous posterior maxilla is a challenging task that could be complicated by the availability of low-density and reduced height of alveolar bone. Patients were enrolled in this study upon the presence of type IV bone and residual bone height <5 mm in posterior maxilla. Novel procedure for transalveolar sinus floor elevation was described to insert 10 short implants in 4 patients. Neither implant failure nor prosthetic failure was observed during a follow-up of 44 ± 3 months. Mesial bone loss of 0.5 ± 0.6 mm and a distal bone loss 1.3 ± 0.9 mm were measured after 35 ± 4 months of loading.

Clinical, radiographical, and histological outcomes of plasma rich in growth factors in extraction socket: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: Platelet-rich plasma has been used in the treatment of extraction socket; however, randomized controlled clinical trial is still lacking to evaluate its effect on extraction socket healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single center, assessor-blinded, parallel group, randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted. Sixty patients with indication of a simple one molar extraction in the mandible were randomized to receive plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) or blood clot. A cross-stitch suture was placed in both groups. Clinical, radiographical, and histological assessments were performed during 10-12 weeks of follow-up. RESULTS: Cone beam CT analysis has shown that the percentage of patients where the sockets are regenerated at ≥75 % of the baseline volume was significantly higher in PRGF group (96.7 %) than the control group (45.5 %). Pain and inflammation (day 3 and day 7) have been significantly lower in PRGF group than the control group but not at day 15. Soft tissue healing scores have been significantly higher in the test group. No serious adverse events have been occurred in both groups. Histological analysis has indicated the presence of significantly thicker keratinized epithelium and significantly higher newly formed bone in the PRGF group. CONCLUSIONS: PRGF was associated with enhanced healing of extraction socket of mandibular molars throughout the observation period. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Plasma rich in growth factors could be a useful tool to enhance the healing of extraction sockets by minimizing postoperative complications and stimulating the hard and soft tissues regeneration.

Implant Site Under-Preparation to Compensate the Remodeling of an Autologous Bone Block Graft.

Autologous bone block grafting is an efficient technique to thicken an atrophied residual alveolar ridge. A variable degree of resorption, however, occurs due to graft remodeling. In this study, we hypothesize that under-preparation of implant socket would permit the dental implant to act as a bone expansor and thus compensate for the contraction in the augmented ridge width. For that reason, 10 patients received an autologous bone block graft that was obtained from the ramus of the mandible. Residual alveolar ridge width was measured on CBCT scans obtained before surgery (T0), after 2 months of healing (T1), after 4 months of healing just before implant placement (T2), and after 4 months of implant placement (T3). The thickness of the alveolar ridge was initially increased from 2.5 ±â€Š1.4 to 6.1 ±â€Š2.0 mm. Before implant insertion, this width was decreased to 5.6 ±â€Š2.1 mm. The last measurement after implant insertion indicated an increase to 7.3 ±â€Š1.8 mm. In comparison to the measurements at T1, a loss of about 0.5 mm of the augmented width occurred. But, this loss was compensated by an increment of 1.2 mm at T3 (after implant insertion) if related to the measurement at T1. Neither gingival dehiscence nor block exposure was observed. Within the limitations of this study, under-preparation of implant socket could make the ridge expansion possible during implant insertion and thus to compensate the remodeling of autologous bone block graft.

Long-term outcome of transosteotomy bone augmentation of the inferior border of the severely resorbed mandible.

We report a case of severe mandibular atrophy with residual crest height as short as 4.3 mm anterior to the mental foramens. The patient was reluctant to accept bone augmentation surgery and that was the motivation to perform transosteotomy bone augmentation of the inferior border of the mandible and the insertion of 4 short implants anterior to the mental foramens. The insertion torque of the 4 implants was about 65 N·cm, which allowed for the application of immediate loading protocol. Detailed follow-up during 8 years showed uneventful healing and successful prosthetic rehabilitation with screw-retained prostheses.

Replacement of missing posterior tooth with off-center placed single implant: Long-term follow-up outcomes.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The distal offset placement of a single implant to replace a single tooth would overcome the shortcomings of the placement of a single wide implant in the posterior region. However, long-term evaluation is still-lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients treated with a single tooth restoration supported by a distal-offset placed implant. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients with a single restoration supported by an off-center placed implant were evaluated. The patients' demographic data were described. The known implant length was used as a reference to calibrate the linear measurements on digital periapical radiographs. Implant details, survival, and prosthetic complications were analyzed. The implant survival rate was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Thirty-four implants were placed with a distal offset to support single-tooth restorations. Twenty patients were women, and patient age was 56 ± 12 years. The implants had a follow-up time from loading up to 10 years (average: 4 ± 3 years). Most of the implants were inserted in type II bone, and 85% were placed in the molar region. The distal offset placement of the implant and the selection of a wide-diameter implant resulted in a mesial bone loss of 0.85 ± 0.57 mm and distal bone loss of 0.83 ± 0.68 mm. One implant failed after 4 months from insertion, resulting in a cumulative survival rate of 97.1%. No prosthetic complications were registered. CONCLUSIONS: The distal offset placement of an implant is an efficient option for restoring a single missing posterior tooth when mesiodistal space is limited.

Efficacy of mandibular advancement device in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A randomized controlled crossover clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a mandibular advancement device (MAD) (KlearwayTM) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea and chronic roncopathy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double blinded, and crossover clinical trial was conducted. Placebo device (PD) defined as a splint in the centric occlusion that did not induce a mandibular advancement served as a control. The mandible was advanced to the maximum tolerable distance or to a minimum of 65% of the maximum protrusion. After each sequence of treatment, patients were assessed by questionnaires, conventional polysomnography, and objective measurement of snoring at the patient's own home. RESULTS: Forty two patients participated in the study and 38 completed the study. Patients mean age was 46 ±9 years and the 79% were males. The mean mandibular advancement was 8.6 ±2.8 mm. Patients used the MAD and the PD for 6.4 +2.4 hours and 6.2 +2.0 hours, respectively. Secondary effects (mostly mild) occurred in the 85.7% and the 86.8% of the users of MAD and PD, respectively. The MAD induced a decrease in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) from 15.3 +10.2 to 11.9 +15.5. The 50% reduction in the AHI was achieved in the 46.2% and the 18.4% of the patients treated with MAD and PD, respectively. The use of the MAD induced a reduction in the AHI by 3.4 +15.9 while the PD induced an increase by 10.6 +26.1. The subjective evaluation of the roncopathy indicated an improvement by the MAD and an increase in the perceptive quality of sleep. However, the objective evaluation of the roncopathy did not show significant improvements. CONCLUSIONS: The use of MAD is efficient to reduce the AHI and improve subjectively the roncopathy. MAD could be considered in the treatment of mild-to-moderate OSA and chronic roncopathy.

Surgical correction of horizontal bone defect using the lateral maxillary wall: outcomes of a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To report on the outcomes of a new surgical technique for the treatment of severe horizontal bone resorption that impedes the placement of dental implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven patients in need of bone augmentation to reconstruct a narrow alveolar ridge were recruited for the present study. Surgical correction of the alveolar width was performed by harvesting an onlay bone graft from the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus and filling the intervening space with plasma rich in growth factors alone or mixed with autologous bone particles. A fibrin membrane was then placed to cover the surgical site before flap closure. Clinical examinations and cone-beam computed tomography were performed to analyze the safety and efficiency of an onlay bone graft from the maxilla in horizontal bone augmentation. RESULTS: The present study is the first to describe the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus as a donor site for an onlay bone graft. The healing period was uneventful, with minimal surgical morbidity. No flap exposure occurred, and analysis of the cone-beam computed tomography scans before and after (about 5 months) bone augmentation revealed a total gain of 5.4 mm in alveolar width. This permitted the placement of dental implants to support an implant-borne prosthesis. CONCLUSIONS: An onlay bone graft from the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus is a useful and safe tool for horizontal bone augmentation with minimal surgical morbidity.

Clinical performance of additively manufactured subperiosteal implants: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess implant survival and complications rate of modern subperiosteal implants (CAD designed and additively manufactured). METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using three electronic databases; Medline (Pubmed), Cochrane library, and SCOPUS, following the PRISMA statement recommendations to answer the PICO question: "In patients with bone atrophy (P), do additively manufactured subperiosteal implants (I), compared to subperiosteal implants manufactured following traditional approaches (c), present satisfactory implant survival and complication rates (O)? The study was pre-registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023424211). Included articles quality was assessed using the "NIH quality assessment tools". RESULTS: Thirteen articles were finally selected (5 cohort studies and 8 case series), including 227 patients (121 female / 106 male; weighted mean age 62.4 years) and 227 implants. After a weighted mean follow-up time of 21.4 months, 97.8% of implants were in function (5 failures reported), 58 implants (25.6%) presented partial exposure, 12 patients (5.3%) suffered soft tissue or persistent infection. Fracture of the interim prosthesis was reported in 8 of the155 patients (5.2%) in which the use of a provisional prosthesis was reported. A great heterogeneity was found in terms of study design and methodological aspects. For this reason, a quantitative analysis followed by meta-analysis was not possible. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, modern additively manufactured subperiosteal implants presented a good survival in the short-time, but a noticeable number of soft-tissue related complications were reported. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical behavior in the medium- and long-term.

Plasma Rich in Growth Factors in Bone Regeneration: The Proximity to the Clot as a Differential Factor in Osteoblast Cell Behaviour.

The osteogenic differentiation process, by which bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and osteoprogenitors transform into osteoblasts, is regulated by several growth factors, cytokines, and hormones. Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) is a blood-derived preparation consisting of a plethora of bioactive molecules, also susceptible to containing epigenetic factors such as ncRNAs and EVs, that stimulates tissue regeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the PRGF clot formulation on osteogenic differentiation. Firstly, osteoblast cells were isolated and characterised. The proliferation of bone cells cultured onto PRGF clots or treated with PRGF supernatant was determined. Moreover, the gene expression of Runx2 (ID: 860), SP7 (ID: 121340), and ALPL (ID: 249) was analysed by one-step real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Additionally, alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) activity determination was performed. The highest proliferative effect was achieved by the PRGF supernatant in all the study periods analysed. Concerning gene expression, the logRGE of Runx2 increased significantly in osteoblasts cultured with PRGF formulations compared with the control group, while that of SP7 increased significantly in osteoblasts grown on the PRGF clots. On the other hand, despite the fact that the PRGF supernatant induced ALPL up-regulation, significantly higher enzyme activity was detected for the PRGF clots in comparison with the supernatant formulation. According to our results, contact with the PRGF clot could promote a more advanced phase in the osteogenic process, associated to higher levels of ALPL activity. Furthermore, the PRGF clot releasate stimulated a higher proliferation rate in addition to reduced SP7 expression in the cells located at a distant ubication, leading to a less mature osteoblast stage. Thus, the spatial relationship between the PRGF clot and the osteoprogenitors cells could be a factor that influences regenerative outcomes.

Mouth Breathing and Its Impact on Atypical Swallowing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this systematic review is the assessment of the effect of mouth breathing on the prevalence of tongue thrust. The review was performed according to the PRISMA 2020 checklist guidelines, and the protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022339527). The inclusion criteria were the following: studies of clinical trials and cross-sectional and longitudinal descriptive studies that evaluate the appearance of tongue thrust in patients with mouth breathing; healthy subjects of any age, race or sex; and studies with a minimum sample group of five cases. The exclusion criteria were the following: studies with syndromic patients, articles from case reports, and letters to the editor and/or publisher. Searches were performed in electronic databases such as The National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE via PUBMED), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science and Scopus, including studies published until November 2023, without a language filter. The methodological quality of the included case-control studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool was used for descriptive cross-sectional studies and cross-sectional prevalence studies. A meta-analysis was conducted on studies that provided data on patients' classification according to mouth breathing (yes/no) as well as atypical swallowing (yes/no) using Review Manager 5.4. From 424 records, 12 articles were selected, and 4 were eligible for meta-analysis. It was shown that there is no consensus on the diagnostic methods used for mouth breathing and tongue thrust. The pooled risk ratio of atypical swallowing was significantly higher in the patients with mouth breathing (RR: 3.70; 95% CI: 2.06 to 6.66). These studies have several limitations, such as the heterogeneity among the individual studies in relation to the diagnostic tools and criteria for the assessment of mouth breathing and atypical swallowing. Considering the results, this systematic review shows that patients with mouth breathing presented higher risk ratios for atypical swallowing.

Adjunctive Plasma Rich in Growth Factors in the Treatment of Osteomyelitis and Large Odontogenic Cysts Prior to Successful Implant Rehabilitation: Case Report.

Osteomyelitis of the jaws presents a clinical challenge to conventional treatment, often requiring multiple surgical interventions resulting in significant deformity and presenting significant problems to satisfactory rehabilitation. While benign odontogenic cysts, such as the radicular cyst, are generally predictably treated, they can cause significant localized bone destruction and thus can present significant problems in satisfactory rehabilitation. In this case report, patients were treated combining conventionally appropriate surgical debridement and oral antibiotics with adjunctive plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF). Patients showed a complete soft tissue and osseous regeneration to their pre-pathologic state, with successful implant rehabilitation. PRGF appears to be highly successful in minimizing or eliminating osseous deformities normally associated with conventional treatment of osteomyelitis of the jaw and treatment of large odontogenic cysts. Future trials must be performed to confirm these results in comparison to controls using conventional treatment alone.

Extra-short implants (≤ 6.5 mm in length) in atrophic and non-atrophic sites to support screw-retained full-arch restoration: a retrospective clinical study.

PURPOSE: Increasing scientific evidence support extending the application of short dental implants to non-atrophic dental arches. The purpose of this study has been the evaluation of extra-short implants (≤ 6.5 mm in length) that were placed in atrophic and non-atrophic anatomical sites to support the same prosthesis. METHODS: For that, a retrospective study was conducted by including complete dentures that were solely supported by extra-short implants in the maxilla and/or the mandible. Clinical data about patients, implants, anatomy, and prosthesis were obtained. Statistical analysis was performed to assess implant- and prosthesis-survival, changes in the marginal bone level and prosthetic complications. RESULTS: A total of 87 implants in 15 screw-retained complete dentures were assessed. None of the prostheses nor the extra-short implant failed during the follow-up of 27.2 ± 15.4 months. The changes in the mesial and distal marginal bone level were + 0.15 ± 0.51 mm and + 0.11 ± 0.50 mm, respectively. Comparing the implants according to the availability of sufficient bone to place longer implants, indicated the absence of significant differences in the changes of the mesial marginal bone level. However, the changes in the distal marginal bone level showed a statistically significant difference in favor of implants that were placed in non-atrophic sites. Two events of screw loosening were reported that were resolved by retightening the screws. CONCLUSIONS: Implant- and prosthesis-related outcomes support the use of extra-short implants in atrophic and non-atrophic site to support complete prosthesis.

Clinical performance of splinted 4.5-mm extra-short implants. A controlled retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: To compare survival, marginal bone loss (MBL) and prosthetic complications of 4.5-mm extra-short implants and longer implants splinted to the same type of implant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective controlled cohort study was performed. The 4.5-mm extra-short group (study group; SG) included 48 consecutively placed implants that met inclusion criteria. Control group (CG) included 48 implants splinted to them. The same surgical team treated the 39 patients included, and all the implants were restored with a screw retained fixed restoration and intermediate abutments. Immediate and conventionally loaded implants were included. RESULTS: All the implants were in function during the follow-up period (14 ± 3.4 SD and 17 ± 13 SD months for SG and CG). No differences in technical complications were observed between both groups (1 and 2 screw loosening for SG and CG; 2 fractures in provisional prosthesis for SG; p=0.310). Marginal bone stability was similar for SG and CG at mesial level (SG: Mean -0.01 ± 0.28 SD mm Vs CG Mean -0.18 ± 0.72 SD mm; p=0.270) and at distal level (SG: Mean 0.02 ± 0.39 SD mm Vs CG Mean -0.18 ± 0.68 SD mm; p=0.076). CONCLUSIONS: The same good clinical performance could be observed for 4.5-mm implants and longer implants under the same prosthesis.