Autogenous bone graft type and implant survival

Seventeen studies reported on the specific bone graft type (non-vascularised or vascularised) into which the implants were placed. In the remaining three studies (Buddula et al., Fierz et al., Yerit et al.), this distinction was not possible.

Of these 17 studies, 8 studies reported on implant survival in non-vascularised bone grafts and 14 studies reported on implant survival in vascularised bone grafts with 5 studies (Barrowman et al. , Hessling et al., Watzinger et al., Shaw et al., Chiapasco et al.), therefore reporting on implant survival in both non-vascularised and vascularised bone grafts within their study (Table 3). Implant survival appears to be higher for those implants placed into vascularised bone grafts in comparison to non-vascularised bone grafts. Of the five studies reporting on both vascularised and non-vascularised bone grafts, three of these studies (Barrowman et al., Watzinger et al., Chiapasco et al.) reported higher implant survival in vascularised bone grafts whereas the other two studies (Hessling et al., Shaw et al.) reported higher implant survival in non-vascularised bone grafts. Shaw et al. reported that implants placed into ‘vascularized bone graft were superior to non-vascularized bone. In particular, those implants in composite radial forearm flaps performed badly. With the proportion of patients with implant loss in these bone flaps within their study being 27% in iliac crest, 33% in fibula, and 100% in radius and that implants placed in composite fibula and iliac crest flaps performed approximately as well as in native maxilla within their study’.

Twelve studies reported on the use of more than one autogenous bone graft donor site within their study (Barrowman et al., Schultes et al., Yerit et al., Fenlon et al., Chiapasco et al., Buddula et al., Fierz et al., Burgess et al., Hessling et al., Watzinger et al., Shaw et al. and Chiapasco et al.); of these, five studies reported on the effect of the autogenous bone graft donor site on implant survival.