Marginal bone loss around implants placed in maxillary native bone or grafted sinuses: a retrospective cohort study

ObjectivesTo assess differences in marginal bone loss around implants placed in maxillary pristine bone and implants placed following maxillary sinus augmentation over a period of 3years after functional loading. Material and methodsTwo cohorts of subjects (Group 1: Subjects who received sinus augmentation with simultaneous implant placement; Group 2: Subjects who underwent conventional implant placement in posterior maxillary pristine bone) were included in this retrospective study. Radiographic marginal bone loss was measured around one implant per patient on digitized panoramic radiographs that were obtained at the time of prosthesis delivery (baseline) and 12, 24, and 36months later. The influence of age, gender, smoking habits, history of periodontal disease, and type of prosthetic connection (internal or external) on marginal bone loss was analyzed in function of the type of osseous support (previously grafted or pristine). ResultsA total of 105 subjects were included in this study. Cumulative radiographic marginal bone loss ranged from 0mm to 3.9mm after 36months of functional loading. There were statistically significant differences in marginal bone loss between implants placed in grafted and pristine bone at the 12-month assessment, but not in the subsequent progression rate. External prosthetic connection, smoking, and history of periodontitis negatively influenced peri-implant bone maintenance, regardless of the type of osseous substrate. ConclusionsImplants placed in sites that received maxillary sinus augmentation exhibited more marginal bone loss than implants placed in pristine bone, although marginal bone loss mainly occurred during the first 12months after functional loading. Implants with external implant connection were strongly associated with increased marginal bone loss overtime.