Journal of Prosthodontics News
June 29, 2021
Survival Rates of Splinted and Nonsplinted Prostheses Supported By Short Dental Implants
Now online in the Journal of Prosthodontics, a systematic review and meta-analysis of implant survival rates, marginal bone loss, and mechanical complications of prostheses supported by splinted and nonsplinted short implants.
Short dental implants have been proven to be an acceptable solution for patients with limited alveolar bone height, however the definition of short implants has been controversial. Additionally, whether adjacent short implants should be splinted for rehabilitation is a common, but not straightforward decision for many clinicians, due to conflicting reports in the literature.
Previous retrospective and prospective investigations have defined short implants as ≤ 8.5 mm. Using this definition, a literature search found 12 studies that met the inclusion criteria and featured 1506 short implants (596 nonsplinted and 910 splinted) with a follow-up time ranging from 1–16 years. Quantitative analysis found no statistically significant differences between splinted and nonsplinted short implants for survival rate and marginal bone loss.
Limitations of this study include the low number of studies (12) and most were retrospective. More investigations on the topic, particularly RCT studies and studies involving extra short implants, are needed to further confirm these results.
Li Q-L, Yao M-F, Cao R-Y, et al: Survival rates of splinted and nonsplinted prostheses supported by short dental implants (≤ 8.5 mm): a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Prosthodont 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopr.13402
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