Rehabilitation of atrophic jaw using iliac onlay bone graft combined with dental implants

Abstract

Background: Rehabilitating severely atrophic alveolar crests remains challenging for implantologists and maxillofacial surgeons. Recently, a combination of augmentation and dental implantation has been used to treat cases with severe bone atrophy in the maxilla and mandible. Among autogenous bone grafts, iliac bone grafting (IBG) is considered safe for collecting large amounts of bone and obtaining high-density multipotent cells. However, vertical bone resorption may occur during the initial healing stage after IBG. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate bone graft success and implant survival rate, along with bone height in the augmented site and marginal bone level around dental implants placed in iliac onlay bone grafts. We also introduce technique and treatment considerations for successful IBG procedures, as well as optimal implant installation strategy and soft tissue manipulation. Methods: We examined seven patients who were treated with IBG combined with implant systems over a period of 10 years. The long-term success rate of bone grafts and implant survival rate were recorded. Bone height change and marginal bone loss (MBL) were analyzed by assessing the radiograms acquired after augmentation, at implant installation, prosthetic loading, and after installation 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years.