Effect of Ridge Splitting of Mandibular Knife Edge Ridges with Two-implant Retained Overdenture with Locator Attachments on Peri-implant Bone Level and Posterior Ridge Resorption: A One-year Preliminary Study

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate peri-implant bone height changes and posterior ridge resorption by using two-implant retained polyetheretherketone (PEEK) overdentures with locator attachments following expansion of mandibular knife edge ridges by ridge splitting. Materials and methods: Eighteen patients were selected for ridge splitting followed by expansion, implant placement, and bone graft application. Six months later, the fabrication of PEEK overdentures retained by locator attachments was accomplished. Friedman test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Spearman correlation were used to evaluate the changes over time. Results: Peri-implant bone height loss increased significantly with the advance of time between 6 and 12 months following denture insertion. Posterior area index changes were significant over time when measured at the time of denture insertion and twelve months following denture insertion. Conclusion: The effect of using PEEK as overdenture base material retained with two locator attachments allowed sharing the load between the peri-implant bone anteriorly and residual ridge posteriorly in cases with ridge splitting technique. Clinical significance: Using PEEK as an overdenture base material is a successful means of bone preservation.