Oxidized titanium implants in reconstructive jaw surgery

Background: Rehabilitation with implant-supported bridges in patients with insufficient bone volumes may require bone reconstructive procedures in conjunction with or prior to implant placement. Clinical follow-up studies using turned titanium and bone grafts have demonstrated higher failure rates than when used in nongrafted patients. Improved bone integration has been demonstrated for oxidized titanium implants; however, their clinical performance in bone reconstruction situations is not known. Purpose: This study was performed to analyze the survival and stability of oxidized titanium implants placed in patients subjected to reconstructive jaw surgery at one clinic. Materials and Methods: Two hundred oxidized titanium implants (Mk III, TiUnite(TM), Nobel Biocare AB, Goteborg, Sweden) were placed in 47 patients in conjunction with or secondary to six different reconstructive procedures owing to insufficient bone volume. In all six groups, implant stability was assessed by resonance frequency analysis and manually checked for rotation stability at implant insertion, at the time of abutment connection, and after a minimum of 12 months of loading of the prosthetic construction. Periapical radiographs were taken after a minimum of 12 months of loading (mean 21 months) for evaluation of the marginal bone levels. The mean clinical follow-up period was 30 months. Results: Of the 200 implants, 199 were considered osseointegrated at the time of abutment surgery. At the 12-month post-loading follow-up, another two implants were considered not stable. Three implants (1.5%) were ranked as unsuccessful. Conclusion: Clinical experience with 200 consecutive oxidized implants in various reconstruction situations shows a successful outcome, with only three failures (1.5%) during a mean follow-up period of 30 months.